Stefanik enters race for governor — but Blakeman says he's the Republican with broad support

ALBANY — Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, a top ally of President Donald Trump, announced Friday that she is running for governor, saying she will make New York "affordable and safe.”

Her long-forecasted announcement sets up a potential battle with Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2026, though she might have competition for the GOP nomination.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is also eyeing a run, said Friday that Stefanik has done a "great job” in Congress but played up the fact that he has won reelection in a huge county where Democrats outnumber Republicans and garnered significant independent voter support.

Blakeman said the party needs "a candidate that can win, that can show broad-based support ... and I’ve done that.”

In either case, the race is shaping up to be between an incumbent Democrat and an outspoken backer of Trump in a state that hasn’t had a Republican governor since George Pataki, a more liberal Republican than Stefanik or Blakeman, who served from 1995 to 2006.

Stefanik, 41, was first elected to Congress in 2014 as a moderate, bipartisan lawmaker representing a North Country district stretching from Saratoga County to the Canadian border.

Early on, she criticized some Trump policies and his rhetoric about women. But by 2019, she made a sharp rightward turn to become what she later called "Ultra MAGA,” a reference to Trump supporters. She previously contemplated a gubernatorial run in 2022.

She had been Trump’s nominee to be ambassador to the United Nations, but the nomination later was withdrawn in what was seen as a GOP bid to defend her congressional seat.

Stefanik has been ramping up for a statewide run, frequently criticizing Hochul on social media and television appearances. She continued that attack in her announcement.

"Under Kathy Hochul's failed leadership, New York is the most unaffordable state in the nation with the highest taxes, highest energy, utilities, rent and grocery prices crushing hardworking families,” Stefanik said. "I am running for governor to bring a new generation of leadership to Albany to make New York affordable and safe for families all across our great state. Our campaign will unify Republicans, Democrats and Independents to Fire Kathy Hochul once and for all to Save New York."

In an accompanying video, the Stefanik campaign sought to portray New York as beset by crime and economic problems, a message that would seem to play better in conservative areas of the state.

Hochul’s campaign wasted no time and posted a video of Stefanik, repeatedly calling her Trump’s "top ally” and noting she’s called him the "greatest” president ever. It says the congresswoman stood by Trump when he imposed trade tariffs and recently tried to cut counterterrorism funds for New York.

"Elise Stefanik: She’ll always put Donald Trump ahead of you,” the Hochul campaign video says, seeking to tie the congresswoman to a president who has failed to carry New York in any of his three presidential runs.

Hochul became New York’s first female governor in 2021, ascending from lieutenant governor when then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo resigned in the face of likely impeachment proceedings. In 2022, with post-pandemic crime still rising, she defeated Long Island Rep. Lee Zeldin by about 7 percentage points in New York’s closest gubernatorial race since 1994.

The Zeldin race occurred with Democrat Joe Biden in the White House and Republicans making gains in midterm elections. With Trump back in the White House, Republicans saw a range of high-profile losses in elections on Tuesday night.

A bright spot for Republicans on Tuesday was Nassau County, where Blakeman, 70, cruised to reelection in a 12-point win over Democrat Seth Koslow — a much larger margin than his victory in 2021.

While not mentioning that Stefanik’s wins have come in an overwhelmingly Republican district, Blakeman said his record gives him a strong statewide profile. He also said early endorsements aren’t determinative.

"If you don’t get a majority of independent voters, you ain’t winning a statewide election in New York State,” Blakeman said. "If you are just counting on Republican votes, you’re not going to be successful. Here in Nassau County, we have 110,000 more Democrats registered than Republicans. We win here because of our policies and because of our leadership. And, therefore, I think we are an excellent model.”

Newsday's Billy House and Olivia Winslow contributed to this story.

By Yancey Roy

yancey.roy@newsday.com@yanceyroy