A MAGA loyalist is reportedly eyeing a gubernatorial run in the Empire State after amassing support from the president, GOP donors, and the MAGA community.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, 40, who represents a district in upstate New York, made headlines just a few weeks ago after Trump withdrew her nomination to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for tactical voting reasons in Congress.
Stefanik remained MAGA, insisting she was “proud to be a team player” and “one of his [Trump’s] top allies on Capitol Hill.”
Two anonymous sources told Politico this week that if Stefanik were to enter the race, it could create a rift with fellow New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, who is also considering a run.
“Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is GREAT!!!” President Trump wrote on Wednesday.
Stefanik would likely be taking on Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul in a state that voted 56 percent in favor of former Vice President Kamala Harris last November.
Since, withdrawing her nomination for the United Nations, Trump has lavished praise on Stefanik:
“She is phenomenal, number one. She is a friend of mine. … But she’s very popular in her district. And I didn’t want to take a chance,” he said in March.
“We have a slim margin. We don’t want to take any chances. We don’t want to experiment,” he added.
Harvard government professor Steven Levitsky, co-author of How Democracies Die, had some harsh words for Stefanik back in January 2024.
“Stefanik appears to be willing to go down Trump’s authoritarian path wholeheartedly. She scares me in several ways,” he told The Guardian during a period when the ultra-conservative was emerging as a strong advocate for Trump’s third presidential campaign.
Stefanik is a Harvard graduate who began her political career as a moderate in the GOP but has since shifted right as the MAGA movement has engulfed the party. Despite dedicating an entire section on her congressional website to her support for law enforcement, Stefanik is an avid defender of the actions of the January 6 rioters, calling them “hostages” in an interview with NBC News.
Stefanik is also an outspoken supporter of Israel.
Speaking at an anti-semitism address in May 2024, she said: “I was raised in Upstate New York, I attended an all-girls day school right next door to a synagogue. I grew up attending b'nai mitzvot of childhood and family friends and have been welcomed into many homes for Shabbat dinner.
“I’ve celebrated with my friends the birth of their children, attending baby namings and bri-tote, and signing a ketubah at a friend’s wedding. My love and respect for the Jewish people and the people of Israel is lifelong and deep.”
Who are her rivals?
Kathy Hochul, 66, is the current Governor of New York State, and she is set to run for a second full term in 2026.
Providing Stefanik runs, she will likely face off against Lawler in a bid for Trump’s endorsement as well as the party’s nomination.
Lawler hinted that he would run in the 2026 election, as reported by the New York Post in December of last year.
Republican Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne could also be vying for a seat, according to Politico.
The Independent contacted Stefanik’s office for comment.
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