Could this top Trump ally break Republican's 2-decade losing streak in this key state?

EXCLUSIVE: STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, headlining a section GOP fundraising meal successful this MAGA stronghold successful Democrat-dominated New York City, sent a apt hint of things to come.

"Are we acceptable to occurrence Kathy Hochul adjacent year?" said the six-term congresswoman from a mostly rural, red-leaning territory successful Upstate New York, drafting large cheers astatine the Staten Island GOP’s yearly Lincoln Day Dinner.

Hochul, blue-state New York's Democrat governor, is moving for re-election adjacent twelvemonth for a 2nd four-year term.

And Stefanik, who is simply a subordinate of the House GOP's leadership, is the astir high-profile Republican to earnestly see taking connected Hochul successful the 2026 elections.

NEW YORK GOV HOCHUL FACING PRIMARY CHALLENGE FROM HER OWN LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York headlines a Staten Island GOP fundraising meal successful New York City connected June 2, 2025. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)

Pointing to adjacent year's battle, Stefanik said the eventual GOP nominee taking connected Hochul "needs to beryllium the toughest fighter, who has taken connected the media, who has taken connected the extremist left, who has taken connected the naysayers, and who is simply a proven winner."

It sounded similar Stefanik, who aboriginal successful her legislature tenure was seen arsenic an constitution Republican but who has go a apical state of President Donald Trump and a MAGA champion, was talking astir herself.

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Stefanik, successful a nationalist exclusive interrogation with Fox News Digital up of her quality astatine the Staten Island GOP event, said she's "proud to be" 1 of Trump's apical supporters successful the House.

"I stepped up to present President Trump's docket that is unleashing American vigor [independence], securing the border, cutting taxes for New Yorkers, specifically the authorities and section taxation deduction," she touted. 

"I americium precise adjacent to President Trump. I chaired his run successful New York. I was the archetypal Republican subordinate to endorse him."

Stefanik highlighted that she and the president "talk astir a batch of antithetic things. He's paying adjacent attraction to New York. He knows that New York state needs caller leadership, beardown Republican leadership."

Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, a apical state of President Donald Trump, is seen joining the then-former president connected the 2024 run way successful New Hampshire. (Getty Images)

And Stefanik said she "would beryllium honored to person his support" if she pulls the trigger and launches a 2026 Republican gubernatorial run successful the Empire State.

It's been 23 years since a Republican won a gubernatorial predetermination successful heavy bluish New York. You person to spell each the mode backmost to erstwhile Gov. George Pataki's 2nd re-election triumph successful 2002.

But Hochul volition apt look a precise competitory re-election.

MORE POLLING PROBLEMS FOR THIS BLUE-STATE DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR FACING RE-ELECTION NEXT YEAR

Hochul was the state’s lieutenant politician when, successful August 2021, she was sworn successful arsenic New York’s archetypal pistillate politician aft three-term Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned successful disgrace amid aggregate scandals.

She defeated then-Rep. Lee Zeldin by conscionable implicit six points successful 2022 to triumph a afloat four-year term. But Zeldin's showing was the champion by a Republican gubernatorial nominee since Pataki won re-election to a 3rd word successful 2002.

Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York is seeking re-election adjacent year. (REUTERS/David Dee Delgado)

Meanwhile, Trump, who mislaid New York by 23 points successful the 2020 statesmanlike election, trimmed his shortage by 10 points past November.

While Hochul's support ratings successful a caller Siena College canvass were holding somewhat successful affirmative territory, the survey indicated a bulk of New Yorkers would inactive similar idiosyncratic other to triumph the 2026 predetermination for politician of the Empire State.

According to the poll, which was conducted May 12-15, 36% of registered voters successful New York authorities said they would ballot to re-elect Hochul to a 2nd four-year term, with a bulk (55%) saying they wanted idiosyncratic else. 

Stefanik, successful her Fox News Digital interview, reiterated her statement that Hochul is "the worst politician successful America."

GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York speaks with an attendee astatine a Staten Island GOP fundraising meal connected June 2, 2025, successful New York City. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)

And she highlighted that "we request a campaigner who volition talk and scope retired to New Yorkers of each governmental stripes. I've done that successful my legislature district. When I archetypal ran for Congress, I was the underdog. No 1 successful my household is political. I grew up successful a small-business family. I flipped a territory from Democrat to Republican, and we've won it by treble digits ever since."

If she decides to motorboat a gubernatorial campaign, Stefanik whitethorn not person the GOP superior to herself.

Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, who's successful his 2nd word representing a cardinal plaything legislature territory that covers a ample swath of New York City's bluish suburbs, is mulling a 2026 GOP tally for governor.

"I deliberation Kathy Hochul is the astir feckless, incompetent politician successful America," Lawler said successful a Fox News Digital interrogation successful April.

Lawler has said that he'll marque a determination connected whether to tally for politician oregon for re-election this month.

But Trump past period endorsed Lawler for re-election, a apt motion that the president would alternatively person the congressman question re-election arsenic the House GOP fights to support its razor-thin bulk successful the enclosure alternatively than question the governor's office.

Another Trump supporter, Nassau County enforcement Bruce Blakeman, has besides mulled a tally for governor.

Asked astir a imaginable GOP superior for governor, Stefanik said, "I deliberation Republicans volition enactment it out. We cognize however important it is to unify again."

"I enactment precise good with each of my colleagues, including those who are considering, but I deliberation we’ll enactment it retired connected the Republican side," she added.

But the Democratic Governor's Association (DGA), successful a memo, argued, "The Republican information successful New York volition beryllium decided by 1 person: Donald Trump."

And the DGA argued that the GOP contention "has already grown fractious and messy."

Stefanik was interviewed astir an hr aft quality broke that Hochul would look a superior situation from her ain lieutenant governor.

New York Lt. Gov. Anthonio Delgado connected Monday announced his bid to effort and oust his brag arsenic the Democrats' nominee successful adjacent year's predetermination successful a uncommon determination by a lieutenant politician to superior situation a sitting incumbent.

New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado connected Monday announced that helium would motorboat a 2026 Democrat superior situation against Gov. Kathy Hochul. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images)

Delgado, successful a video announcing his candidacy, took a jab astatine his boss, saying, "What we request close present successful New York is bold, decisive, transformational leadership."

Recent polls bespeak that Hochul enjoys a wide pb implicit Delgado and Rep. Richie Torres, who's besides mulling a superior challenge, successful the Democrat gubernatorial information race.

The DGA praised Hochul successful a connection aft Delgado's announcement.

"Governor Kathy Hochul is simply a proven person with a beardown grounds of delivering for New Yorkers: The Democratic Governors Association is 100 percent down Governor Hochul arsenic she continues to present for New York, instrumentality connected Donald Trump, and physique the cognition it volition instrumentality to bushed Republicans up and down the ballot successful 2026," DGA enforcement manager Meghan Meehan-Draper wrote.

But Stefanik said the quality of the superior situation backed up her arguments.

"I dubbed Kathy Hochul the worst politician successful America due to the fact that it’s true. It’s not conscionable Republicans. It’s autarkic and Democrat voters arsenic good crossed this authorities who recognize that she has failed, she has delivered catastrophic failed policies successful New York," Stefanik said.

And Stefanik added that "this is her hand-picked lieutenant politician that she chose that is present primarying Kathy Hochul, and it is due to the fact that she failed astatine her job."

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Asked if the quality would propulsion her person to moving for governor, Stefanik said, "I americium taking a adjacent look. It’s wherefore I’m crisscrossing the state. I americium connected Staten Island contiguous … I’ll beryllium successful Erie County, Suffolk County, Albany County, New York City. I’ve been each implicit the spot and that volition continue."

"I volition beryllium making my determination implicit the coming months," she added.