Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - While New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R, NY-21) has not formally declared her intentions to make a run for Governor of New York in 2026, the momentum is gaining in her favor less than 15 months from Election Day.
In a recent Siena Poll released earlier this week, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s job approval and favorability ratings are up a little from June, but her lead in a potential Gubernatorial race against Stefanik fell to 14 points, down from a 23-point lead in June.
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Stefanik admits she was excited to see the results of the recent Siena Poll.
"If you look at Lee Zeldin's race (in 2022), he ran a tremendous campaign, and no one paid attention in the national media until that final poll in October that showed him about the same as this poll, he was within 12-to-11 points. We are closing this gap a year-and-a-half out, and it's because Kathy Hochul's last cycle was undefined, because she replaced [Andrew] Cuomo on the ballot. Now Kathy Hochul owns this misery and the destruction in New York State," said Stefanik on Thursday while appearing with David Bellavia on WBEN. "We are going to go on offense, winning Independents and winning a fair percentage of Democrats."
Going on the offensive and winning over the people is what Stefanik has done in her Congressional district, serving now as the longest-tenured New York Republican in Congress.
"People may forget, but my district was Democrat before I ran in 2014. Not only did we win Republicans, we overwhelmingly won Independents, and we peeled off about 20%-to-25% of registered Democrats," Stefanik noted. "People that are looking for a strong leader who delivers results to New York, and specifically, in my case in Congress, to the district. So that's what we're going to continue to focus on."
Stefanik strongly feels there is an opportunity to grow the numbers in support of Republicans in New York, while Gov. Hochul's numbers are only going to decline further.
"The kiss of death as a candidate, which Kathy Hochul has in common with Kamala Harris, is the more voters hear from her, the less they support her. So while she continues to put herself out there, the numbers continue to drop," she said. "We are going to continue to put our vision out there and hope to earn, and work to earn more support from New Yorkers across party lines."
Stefanik discussed a number of key focal points that are going to be hammered on leading up to the Gubernatorial election next November. One of the more pressing issues she feels will be cashless bail.
"This is a policy that prioritizes criminals over law-abiding New Yorkers," Stefanik said. "You talk to anyone in law enforcement, our county sheriffs, our troopers, our DAs, we're dealing with repeat offenders over-and-over again, and these are violent criminals who are being let into the streets. I know this recent news in Buffalo, where they had to close down the JFK Pool, which kids need those resources during the summer, and it was because of the crime crisis. And yet, you have Democrats, led by Kathy Hochul, doubling down on this. So the crime crisis will be a top issue, as it is this year, it will be next year."
Another issue that Stefanik has been a leader at the national level with raising awareness of nationally is the security challenges at the Northern border. She says New York need more Border Patrol, more personnel and more resources along the Northern border.
"This is a crisis, and yet, Kathy Hochul is prioritizing illegals. We are a sanctuary state, that was the first Executive Order she signed, and then she went on to sign it three times total. And then, yet, she testifies in front of Congress saying we're not a sanctuary state. Look at the Executive Order, Kathy. New Yorkers are smart. They know this," Stefanik emphasized.
"We've worked very closely with our CBP officers, our Border Patrol officers, as well as local elected officials, local law enforcement. Whether it's the insane Green Light law, which Democrats have put forward, not allowing our law enforcement to work with our Border Patrol to make sure that we're securing the border. And we know the importance of balancing the economic partnership with Canada - always putting New York first - but that important trading partnership, you have to secure the Northern border. Kathy Hochul has failed in that respect, too, and, of course, she's failed if you look at the crime crisis and the illegals-first focus in New York City."