Things in the Empire State just got very interesting, and I am sure this will get the attention of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) has officially announced her candidacy in the governor’s race.
Believe me, if you want to stop Mamdani, this is the best way to do it.
Current Gov. Kathy Hochul, to this point, has resisted raising taxes in New York because she knows that doing so would be her ticket out of office.
However, Mandani’s plans for the Big Apple would require significant tax increases on New Yorkers in order to fund all his freebies.
Hochul still endorsed him, stating, “In the past few months, I’ve had frank conversations with him. We’ve had our disagreements.”
The governor continued, “But in our conversations, I heard a leader who shares my commitment to a New York where children can grow up safe in their neighborhoods and where opportunity is within reach for every family. I heard a leader who is focused on making New York City affordable -- a goal I enthusiastically support.”
The current polling situation for next year's gubernatorial contest is not good for Stefanik, except for one recent survey from a right-leaning outfit that I don’t trust.
In every poll leading up to November, Stefanik was down by double digits, sometimes by 20 or more points, but I don’t put a lot of stock in polls until people are officially in the race and voters begin to hear about their policies.
Even so, you should know that before the aforementioned Manhattan Institute poll, which has Stefanik up by one point on Hochul, she was down in the Siena poll, which is why Hochul’s office ripped the more favorable survey.
Hochul's office responded, “You’ve got to hand it to Sellout Stefanik: when her own polls don’t reflect reality, she can count on Trump and his megadonors -- like Betsy DeVos and Paul Singer -- to repeat her lies. Unfortunately for her, New Yorkers aren’t interested in letting an unhinged Trump enabler anywhere near the Governor’s mansion.”
Stefanik officially announced her candidacy, as was anticipated, as soon as the 2025 election cycle ended. She stated, “Under [Hochul’s] failed leadership, New York is the most unaffordable state in the nation with the highest taxes, highest energy, utilities, rent, and grocery bills. When New Yorkers were looking for leadership from our governor, she bent the knee to the raging defund the police, tax hiking communist causing catastrophe for New York families.”
She added, “I am running for governor to make New York affordable and safe for all.”
A win is possible, as Republican Lee Zeldin only lost the 2022 race to Hochul by less than 7%, and the governor's popularity has only gone down since. Having said that, this race is going to take a lot of time and money to win, and that means that Donald Trump will have to spend considerable time in the state, as will a host of other prominent surrogates. And it is all going to come at a time when the GOP is facing a possible drubbing by Democrats in Congressional races.
But here is the thing… if you want to beat Mamdani and end this socialist wave, you need a GOP governor in place to deny his tax raises. For all intents and purposes, Stefanik is the blade that is needed to remove the head of the snake. This fight is worth it, but everyone has to go all-in in order for this to work.
