Who Is Elise Stefanik?

My VIP for this week is Elise Stefanik, current Republican Representative from New York as well as candidate for governor of New York. If elected, she would be “the first Republican governor of New York in 20 years,” according to George Caldwell and Jacob Adams in their article published at The Daily Signal. 

Stefanik has been in Congress for a decade, a time period where she has held leadership positions. Therefore, she is “making a big political bet” in a state that is dominated by Democrats. Caldwell and Adams shared the following information about Stefanik.

“[Gov.] Kathy Hochul has a record and has led single-party Democrat rule, making it the most unaffordable state in the nation,” Stefanik, an Upstate New Yorker, says in an early attack ad released Friday against the state’s incumbent Democrat governor. “We have the highest taxes, the highest energy prices, the highest utility princes, highest proceri prices, and rent that continues to skyrocket.” …

“I do think a Republican can win in New York,” New York-based Republican strategist Chapin Fay told The Daily Signal. “The path to victory runs squarely through New York City. There are not enough Republican votes on Long Island and upstate to ignore New York City.”

Fay explained that the “old conventional wisdom” is that a Republican needs 30% of the vote in New York City to win the gubernatorial race.

In 2022, however, Republican New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin, now EPA commissioner under President Donald Trump, won almost exactly 30% of the New York City vote in 2022 and still lost – not to mention that New York City just elected Zohran Mamdani, a self-proclaimed socialist, to be the city’s next mayor.

Nevertheless, a recent poll suggests Stefanik can mount a real challenge to Hochul in 2026 with 46% of voters favoring Hochul, compared to 43% for Stefanik, which is within the poll’s 4.4% margin of error.

Fay’s suggestion for Republicans? Target voters who supported former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the recent mayoral election.

“I would be looking at the Democrats who voted for Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral election, I would be hyper-focused on that group of people,” Fay said. Cuomo won 41.6% of the vote in New York City, with Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa winning 7.1%.

John McLaughlin is a New York-based veteran of Republican political strategy and polling. He has done polling for a number of New York campaigns, as well as for Trump’s presidential bids.

While he would favor Bruce Blakeman – whom he just helped reelect as Nassau County executive – over Stefanik as a Republican gubernatorial candidate, he says it is entirely in the cards that a Republican could win the state.

“When Republicans win in New York, it’s when the Democrats have failed, and they have clearly failed egregiously, so that a Republican can win. But it’s still a very tough race,” McLaughlin said. “Even when Hochul might have a 25 to 30% unfavorable rating of disapproval among Democrats, it’s still a very tough race.” …

Who Is Elise Stefanik?

In a news cycle where a communist mayoral candidate is sucking up most of the air and other radicals are taking the rest, my VIP for this week is Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), who leads the race for New York Governor. In a head-to-head poll, Stefanik polls 43% support among New York registered voters, and current Democrat New York Governor Kathy Hochul polling 42%. In his article published at The Daily Signal, Jacob Adams reported the following: 

“The margin of error is +/- 4% for the NYC sample, and +/- 3.3% for the full New York statewide sample,” according to the Manhattan Institute. Still, the statistical tie is stunning in a state that voted for then-Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, in last year’s presidential election by double digits.

Hochul has thrown her support behind self-described democratic socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani over her former boss, Andrew Cuomo, the former Democratic governor now running for mayor as an independent.

Even some Mamdani supporters appear less than enthused by the New York governor. Hochul was heckled during her recent appearance in Queens with the mayoral candidate with calls to “tax the rich.”

“Kathy Hochul and single-party Democrat rule have failed New York, making it the most unaffordable state in the country, with the highest taxes, energy, utility, rent, and grocery bills, making it unaffordable to raise a family, work, and start a business,” Stefanik spokeswoman Bernadette Breslin said in a statement adding: “New Yorkers of all political parties are hungry for new common sense leadership after decades of Hochul’s failed, single-party Democrat rule.

Stefanik is a New York state native who has served in the House of Representatives since 2015. She was chairwoman of the House Republican Conference from 2021 to 2025. A prominent defender of Israel, Stefanik earned national press coverage over her grilling of university presidents in the wake of rising antisemitism on college campuses following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel….

A separate poll found that only 39% of New Yorkers approve of Hochul’s performance as governor, compared with 56% that disapprove.

Stefanik has yet to officially declare her candidacy to be the Republican nominee for the 2026 New York gubernatorial election, but is expected to do so after the off-year elections next Tuesday….

Who Is Elise Stefanik?

My VIP for this week is Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York because she is a team player rather than looking for her own glory. Blaze News reported that Stefanik withdrew her nomination on Thursday to be the United States ambassador to the United Nations. Her reason? President Donald Trump asked her to withdraw her nomination in order to strengthen the Republican majority in the U.S. House. 

During the November 2024 election, Republicans retained control of the House, but their margin was decreased. Then, President-elect Trump pulled several members of the House into his cabinet. Another problem is that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (Democrat) sent out signals of her intention to “slow-walk Stefanik’s replacement if she left her seat.” In Trump’s statement on Truth Social, he praised Stefanik’s sacrifice.

‘Elise will stay in Congress, rejoin the House Leadership Team, and continue to fight for our amazing American People.’ …

“As we advance our America First Agenda, it is essential that we maintain EVERY Republican Seat in Congress. We must be unified to accomplish our Mission, and Elise Stefanik has been a vital part of our efforts from the very beginning,” wrote Trump.

He went on to say that he asked Stefanik to remain in Congress to maintain the “tight” majority.

“I don’t want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise’s seat,” he added. “There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations. Therefore, Elise will stay in Congress, rejoin the House Leadership Team, and continue to fight for our amazing American People.”

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson “confirmed that Trump pulled the nomination and Stefanik agreed with the decision.” Johnson went on to explain that Republicans hold “a razor-thin House majority” in the House. “Elise’s agreement to withdraw her nomination will allow us to keep one of the toughest, most resolute members of our Conference in place to help drive forward President Trump’s America First policies.”

Cami Mondeaux at The Deseret News added valuable information to the discussion when she wrote the following. 

The decision marks a blow to Stefanik, who has waited patiently for months to be confirmed to Trump’s Cabinet after having her nomination advanced out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in January. However, the White House has slow-walked a final vote for her confirmation amid a historically slim GOP majority in the House, which has left Republicans with only a one-vote margin.