Rep. Elise Stefanik would be Republican front-runner, strongest candidate to take on Gov. Hochul: GOP poll
Upstate New York Rep.Elise Stefanik would be the clear front-runner in a Republican primary for governor next year and be the strongest candidate to take on Democratic Gov.
Kathy Hochul in a general election should she run, a new poll released Monday claims.Stefanik — who has been rumored to be eyeing a gubernatorial run — got support of 44% of New York Republicans compared to 7% for lower Hudson Valley Rep.Mike Lawler and 5% for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, according to the poll of likely voters.Another 44% of respondents said they were undecided, the survey conducted by Republican pollster Landon Wall with GrayHouse found.Stefanik is better known and liked among Republican voters, with 56% having a favorable view of her and 9% unfavorable, or plus 47 percentage points.Meanwhile, 33% of Republicans had a favorable view of Lawler and just 3% had an unfavorable view, while nearly two-thirds didn’t know who he was or were undecided in their opinion of the congressman.Even fewer Republicans statewide know Blakeman, who is running for re-election for Nassau executive this fall.Stefanik, 40, was first elected in 2014 to the seat representing the sprawling 21st House District that stretches to the Canadian border.President Trump announced Stefanik — who’s a member of the House GOP leadership — as his choice to become US Ambassador to the United Nations.
He later pulled back the nomination, expressing concern about Republicans losing her seat and threatening the GOP’s razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives.But she’s still a Trump favorite.The president recently posted on Truth Social that “Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is GREAT!!!”“Should Congresswoman Elise Stefanik choose to enter the race for governor, she would begin the Republican primary in a dominant position and offer the GOP its strongest opportunity to defeat Governor Kathy Hochul in the 2026 general election,” Wall, the pollster, said.The poll of 400 registered Y...