NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Republican U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik is running for governor of New York, her campaign announced Friday.<\/p>\n
In a video,<\/a> Stefanik called Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul \u201cthe worst governor in America\u201d and called New York \u201cthe most unaffordable state in the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n Stefanik, who represents a solid red congressional district in upstate New York, has for months teased a run for governor, leveling heavy criticism at Hochul and more recently toward Zohran Mamdani<\/a>, the mayor-elect of New York City.<\/p>\n \u201cI am running for governor to bring a new generation of leadership to Albany to make New York affordable and safe for families all across our great state,\u201d Stefanik said in a statement issued Friday.<\/p>\n Last year, President Donald Trump<\/a> picked Stefanik, a staunch ally, to be the administration\u2019s ambassador to the United Nations, but months later rescinded the nomination over concerns about Republicans\u2019 tight margins in the House. <\/p>\n Though any Republican faces long odds of winning the governor\u2019s mansion in New York, Stefanik\u2019s campaign will bring solid name recognition, fundraising prowess and deep ties to the Trump White House. Her campaign announced Friday that she has received the backing of nearly three-quarters of the state\u2019s county Republican chairs.<\/p>\n In a statement, Hochul campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika called Stefanik \u201cDonald Trump\u2019s number one cheerleader in Congress.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cApparently, screwing over New Yorkers in Congress wasn\u2019t enough \u2014 now she\u2019s trying to bring Trump\u2019s chaos and skyrocketing costs to our state,\u201d Chitika said.<\/p>\n The Republican primary field remains unclear ahead of the 2026 race. U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler had been contemplating a run and was considered a potentially strong candidate, but said earlier this year that he would instead seek reelection<\/a> in his battleground House district in the New York Hudson Valley.<\/p>\n