By Newsmax Wires | Friday, 07 November 2025 10:48 AM EST
Twelve New York Republican state senators have endorsed Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., as she launches her campaign for governor, signaling robust early support within the party. New York Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt spearheaded the endorsements, joined by 11 other GOP senators, who hailed Stefanik as “the fighter New York needs” to challenge incumbent Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul and her “radical progressive policies” from Albany.
“Albany’s one-party rule has driven New York to the brink,” Ortt stated, accusing Hochul and her allies of turning the state into a testing ground for radical progressive policies that have left hardworking New Yorkers struggling. He cited rising costs, small business burdens, rampant crime, and mass departures as evidence of the crisis.
Ortt praised Stefanik as “tough, smart, and unafraid to take on the radical Left,” promising she would restore affordability, create jobs, combat crime, and prioritize New Yorkers ignored by current leadership.
The endorsements include:
– Rob Ortt
– Jake Ashby
– George Borrello
– Steve Chan
– Joseph Griffo
– Pam Helming
– Andrew Lanza
– Peter Oberacker
– Rob Rolison
– Dan Stec
– Jim Tedisco
– Mark Walczyk
Stefanik, a prominent Republican and chair of the House GOP Conference during the 117th and 118th Congresses (2021–2025), aims to leverage her national profile for a statewide campaign. Her entry into the governor’s race sets up a high-stakes contest for control of New York’s executive office, which Democrats have held for nearly two decades.
While no official Democrat challengers have emerged beyond Hochul, Stefanik’s announcement and the GOP Senate caucus’s unified support signal a potential energized effort in 2026.
Stefanik, 41, formally declared her candidacy in an X post, calling Hochul “the Worst Governor in America” and criticizing her leadership for making New York the most unaffordable state with sky-high taxes, energy costs, rents, and groceries. She accused Hochul of yielding to “Defund the Police, Tax Hiking Communist” agendas, urging supporters to “FIRE HOCHUL. SAVE NEW YORK.”
