Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday dismissed Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik’s possible 2026 gubernatorial run, boldly declaring: “Bring it on.”
The Democratic governor was adamant she wasn’t worried about potentially facing off against the lawmaker — a day after Stefanik (R-NY) told The Post she believes she’s in the “strongest position” to take down Hochul and become the first Republican leader of Empire State in nearly 20 years.
“I look forward to that fight. No matter who it is. It’s not settled yet, but I say bring it on,” Hochul told CNN.
Hochul, too, claimed that any GOP challenger would be up for a tough fight because President Trump had “tainted” the GOP party’s reputation in New York.
“Donald Trump has made sure that the Republican Party brand is so tainted in New York that no matter who runs against him, they will have the baggage … explaining why people’s prices went up, why they lost health care, why they lost Medicaid, why they lost education, all to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest,” Hochul said.
Stefanik is yet to officially throw her hat in the ring but noted over the weekend she was strongly considering trying to unseat Hochul.
In an exclusive interview with The Post, the 40-year-old rattled off a slew of “Day 1” priorities for a potential term — including tax, education, crime, immigration and energy.
“Unlike Kathy Hochul, who was defeated after one term in Congress, we have a record of winning — not just Republicans but winning independents and a fair percentage of Democrats,” she said.
Meanwhile, Stefanik later took a shot at Hochul in a Fox News interview, ripping the unpopular liberal as “the worst governor in America.”
“New Yorkers, not just Republicans, but independents and Democrats as well, are yearning for a new generation of leadership to bring common sense back to our state,” she said.
“So absolutely, I’m taking a hard look at it, and the outpouring of support has been tremendous. And Kathy Hochul is the worst governor in America,” Stefanik said.
A confident Hochul fired the shots at her possible challenger even as some polling currently shows her popularity is fading.
According to a Siena College poll conducted late last month, just 39% of voters said they would vote for Hochul over “someone else” if the election were immediately, including just 51% of Democrats.
The poll showed 48% prefer someone else.
Meanwhile, Republican pollster Landon Wall released a survey Monday that shows Stefanik within striking distance of Hochul should she choose to run.
Forty-four percent of Empire State Republicans back her candidacy, the poll shows — compared to the 7% who favor Rockland County Rep. Mike Lawler or Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
Hochul only leads Stefanik 46% to 40%, according to the survey.
