The person was granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The state’s current governor, Democrat Kathy Hochul, was elected in 2022 and is running for reelection next year.
Stefanik, a close ally and fierce defender of President Donald Trump, had been nominated to represent the U.S. at the United Nations. But her nomination was pulled last month amid concerns about leaving a Republican House seat vacant when the party has such a narrow majority in the chamber.
Trump, in a Wednesday morning post on his social media platform Truth Social, wrote, “Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is GREAT!!!”
If Stefanik does enter the race, she might face off in a Republican primary against Rep. Mike Lawler, who has been teasing a run for several months.
The last Republican governor in New York was former Gov. George Pataki, who served three terms between 1995 and 2007. Lee Zeldin, current head of the federal Environmental Protection Agency and former congressman from Long Island, mounted a serious challenge to Hochul in the governor's race in 2022, nearly landing what would have been a major upset in the heavily Democratic state.
