Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is reportedly looking at a run for governor after President Donald Trump had to withdraw her nomination as ambassador to the United Nations due to House Republicans‘ thin majority.
Sources familiar with her decision confirmed to multiple outlets that she has been encouraged by several of Trump’s allies and New York Republicans to run for the governor’s mansion. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) is up for reelection in 2026, and Republicans have been eyeing the gubernatorial race since the start of the year as a pickup opportunity.
The Washington Examiner contacted the White House and Stefanik’s team for comment. A Republican source close to the White House did not confirm her consideration but said the congresswoman would be the “strongest candidate in the field.”
“If she runs well enough, then they keep the New York delegation intact in the House of Representatives, and should she lose, she would likely then be appointed as a U.N. ambassador, so I could see how it would be a win-win for her,” the source told the Washington Examiner.
Shortly after news broke that Stefanik was eyeing a gubernatorial campaign, she released a statement on Hochul’s “catastrophic polling” in New York.
“This latest bombshell polling proves what every New Yorker already knows: that we must FIRE Kathy Hochul in 2026 to SAVE NEW YORK,” Stefanik said in a press release. “Hochul is the Worst Governor in America and it’s not even close.”
“This polling shows we can WIN & SAVE NEW YORK,” the congresswoman continued, referring to a Marist University poll that found Hochul’s approval rating is 39%, and a majority of New Yorkers do not want her to seek reelection, mostly due to concerns over the economy and dissatisfaction with her leadership.
If Stefanik entered the race, it would likely put her on a collision course with fellow House colleague and New Yorker Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY). Lawler is expected to launch a bid in the coming months after speculation arose that he was “openly entertaining” a bid for governor in 2026, per the New York Times.
Stefanik, former chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, faced a grim reality when her nomination to join the Trump administration was pulled due to concerns over Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) razor-thin majority. He can afford to lose three votes on legislation to pass it along party lines.
But passing contentious measures has proven to be easier said than done. Though Johnson has been successful in passing key pieces of legislation to advance Trump’s agenda, it has not been without setbacks that often led to punting bills to the following day or delaying fights over spending to a later date.
With Stefanik no longer in consideration for the U.N. ambassadorship, speculation has circulated whether she will remain in Congress, as she was preparing to vacate her seat upon her nomination moving forward on April 2. After pulling the position, Trump announced that she would “stay in Congress” and “rejoin the House Leadership Team.”
How Stefanik would fit into the leadership team was a topic of conversation as Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) succeeded Stefanik as House GOP Conference leader.
Johnson announced earlier this month that he would create a new position for Stefanik: chairwoman of House Republican Leadership, a position the congresswoman said she was “honored” to hold. She is also returning to her senior positions on the House Intelligence Committee and her seats on the Armed Services and Education & the Workforce Committees.
NBC News reported tension between Johnson and Stefanik as the congresswoman wanted the speaker to publicly announce her new leadership arrangement ahead of the budget resolution vote, for which support was already on thin ice.
The conflict is not unexpected given Stefanik, a close ally of Trump’s, lost her shot at moving up into the administration. Though the atmosphere between Stefanik and leadership appeared pleasant, Stefanik hadn’t voted in the House since Trump withdrew her nomination on March 27 until April 9.
Mabinty Quarshie contributed to this report.
