Rep. Elise Stefanik is setting the tone for the 2026 gubernatorial race in New York by issuing a strong rebuke of Governor Kathy Hochul’s support for recently elected New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. The move comes as Stefanik officially launched her run for governor.
In remarks on national television, Stefanik accused Hochul of “bending the knee” to Mamdani — a politician she labels as part of the radical left. She said:
“When New Yorkers were looking for strong leadership from a governor not to bend the knee to Zohran Mamdani, Kathy Hochul bent the knee.”
She also slammed Hochul’s record, claiming she delivered “the highest taxes in the nation,” turned her back on law enforcement and made New York “a catastrophe”.
Stefanik used the moment to position herself as the Republican alternative, emphasizing her experience in Congress, her success in a previously Democratic district, and her claim to being a “fighter” for working-class New Yorkers.
Meanwhile, Hochul’s campaign fired back, accusing Stefanik of being “Donald Trump’s number one cheerleader in Congress” and of planning to bring “Trump’s chaos and skyrocketing costs to our state.”
The clash underscores the deepening divide in New York politics:
- On one side, the GOP is rallying around Stefanik, leaning on discontent over high state taxes, rising crime and shifting demographics.
- On the other hand, Hochul is trying to defend her record and portray the Republican challenger as beholden to national partisan battles rather than state priorities.
- At the center: Mamdani’s victory in NYC adds fuel to the fire, serving as a lightning rod for criticism and a symbol of ideological change from Stefanik’s perspective.
As the campaign formally begins, watch for how the narrative evolves around who truly controls or influences state decisions — the governor’s office, the city’s rising progressive leadership, or national partisan forces.
