Elise Stefanik, a Republican New York representative of Donald Trump, officially launched her long-awaited campaign for governor.
Reports indicate that Stefanik is working behind the scenes to get endorsements from top Republican figures and local officials. But the announcement comes three days after New York City voters elected Democrat Socialist Zohran Mamdani, a political and ideological rival in the state’s far-flung metropolis.
The lawmaker, who has represented his home district for a decade, recently ended his attack on Democratic Governor, Kathy Hochul, ON Social MediaAccusing him of “Comie Mamdani’s famous knee”.
He repeated those claims in a social media post announcing his bid.
“Kathy Hochul is the worst governor in America. Under her failed leadership, New York is the highest state of the police with a disaster causing disaster for New York Families,” he said.
In an interview with FOX news after announcing his bid, Stefanik again sought to tie Hochul – who faced the democratic nomination Antony Delgado – to Mayor-elgoncing Mamdani, who was endorsed by the Demanda Mamdano, who was endorsed by the Demanda Demanda Mayor-electors but did not receive the praise.
“He was an accidental governor,” Stefanik said. “He is only in this position because he is … Lieutenant governor” of former governor Cuomo, who scandalized in 2021 an eight-point Mayoral of New York in Mamdani.
Stefanik began that Hochul’s endorsement of Mamdani came “because he bowed to the support even of his own party of Democrats”.
Quick election campaign in Hochul released a video on Stefanik’s own attack and launched the microsite Selloutstefanik.com.
Hochul campaign spokesperson, Sarafina Chitika, told the town and state that Stefanik was the president’s “number one cheerleader in Congress and his right-hand woman in his war on New York: gutting healthcare, jacking up costs with expensive tariffs, and cutting funding for our police, schools, and hospitals”.
“Apparently, screwing New Yorkers in Congress isn’t enough — now he’s trying to bring Trump and Skyrocketing chaos to our state,” Chitika said.
Stefanik, who positioned himself as “Ultra-Maga“And” it’s proud”, not always an evangelist of Trump. First he won his congressional seat in 2014, after being the youngest woman elected to the job, aged moderately.
He appeared to change his strategy in November 2019, during the intelligence committee hearings. Stefanik is one of the Republican lawmakers behind the litigation that tried to force the US Supreme Court to prevent the victory of Joe Biden. Although he condemned the January 6 attack on the Capitol, he also voted to reject Biden’s victory in Pennsylvania.
Trump tapped Stefanik to become US ambassador to the United Nations shortly after winning re-election in November. Earlier this year, he announced he was withdrawing Stefanik’s nomination amid concerns about Republicans’ tight margins in the House.
In response to initial reports that Stefanik will announce his run, the Democratic Governor’s Office (Dga) said: “They will lose Kathy Hochul next November.
“From gutting healthcare to rolling back spending gains, Stefanik’s record as Trump’s Cheerleader will no longer scare New York Canders. Take it, Ultra-Maga ‘Stefanik is a fantastic candidate overall.