Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said she is “in the strongest position to defeat incumbent Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, in the 2026 governor’s race even though she has yet to officially announce her candidacy.

Speaking exclusively to the New York Post on Saturday, Stefanik presented her case as a known entity in the state coupled with a litany of Hochul’s policy failures.

“Unlike Kathy Hochul, who was defeated after one term in Congress, we have a record of winning — not just Republicans but winning independents and a fair percentage of Democrats,” Stefanik told the outlet.

Read more at Newsmax© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.