Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik announced she will run for governor of New York in 2026, challenging Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul.
In an announcement on X on Friday, Stefanik called Hochul "the worst governor in America" and said that New York had become "the most unaffordable state in the nation."
Hochul responded to Stefanik's announcement, calling the representative Donald Trump's "number one cheerleader in Congress and his right-hand woman in his war on New York."
Stefanik, 41, has represented New York's 21st congressional district, which is north of Albany and includes the Adirondack Mountains, since 2014 and she has indicated her intention to run for governor.
She has been a staunch ally of Trump, emerging as one of his most vocal supporters during his first impeachment in 2019.
