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House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is unveiling a new political fundraising machine Wednesday as she continues to generate buzz as a potential 2026 New York gubernatorial candidate.
Stefanik is eyeing a potential bid for the governor’s mansion in Albany. She told a Republican crowd in Staten Island Monday she was “strongly considering” entering the race.
Her new state political action committee, Save New York, appears aimed at further cementing her status as a heavyweight in Empire State GOP politics.
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House GOP Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik is considering a run for New York governor with current Gov. Kathy Hochul expected to run again. (Getty Images)
“Kathy Hochul is the worst bovernor in America, and she is leading a failed Democrat Party. After years of failed single-party Democrat rule in New York, it has never been more clear that we need strong, commonsense Republican leadership in New York,” Stefanik said in a statement.
She said Save New York “will focus on supporting Republican candidates and campaigns in local elections this November to build the groundwork for 2026.”
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“I am proud of the strong support my political team has developed over the past decade due to the generous support from New York voters and donors who have built our political apparatus into a fundraising and political juggernaut to deliver policies that benefit hardworking New York families,” Stefanik said.
Stefanik is a key Trump ally. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
The New York Republican has been a key ally to President Donald Trump since his first term in the White House.
Trump had appointed her ambassador to the United Nations in his second term, and she was poised to sail through the confirmation process before concerns about the House GOP’s razor-thin majority forced Stefanik to bow out of contention.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., appointed Stefanik chairwoman of House GOP Leadership after she gave up her role as House GOP Conference chair for the Trump administration.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., returned Stefanik to the leadership table after her Trump administration role fell through. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
In the House, she’s been a leader on issues like antisemitism on college campuses, playing a key role in Republicans’ investigation of anti-Israel protests on Ivy League campuses.
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Stefanik is one of two House Republicans considering a bid for New York governor.
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., one of three House GOP lawmakers representing districts former Vice President Kamala Harris won in 2024, has openly toyed with his own gubernatorial effort.
Trump recently endorsed Lawler for re-election in his House district.
