Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said he will decide this June whether to run for governor of New York, potentially setting up a competitive Republican primary against his fellow New York Republican, Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Lawler confirmed to FOX Business’ Cheryl Casone on “Mornings with Maria” Tuesday that he is considering a run for governor of the Empire State in 2026, calling Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul the “most incompetent, feckless governor in America.”
“I’ll make my decision by June,” Lawler said. “I’ll make my decision solely based on whether or not I believe there’s a pathway to win. It won’t be determined by anybody else. Ultimately, we will make a decision on who can make the best case to New Yorkers and defeat Kathy Hochul. Because at the end of the day, that’s what it’s about.”
Lawler said he is on the same page with Stefanik that Hochul is a “disaster,” but New York needs someone who has a “proven track record of winning in tough districts.”
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“I flipped the two-to-one Democratic district in ’22, won it by six and a half points while Kamala Harris won,” Lawler said. “We’re going through that process now. We’ll make a decision by June. Certainly, at the end of the day, we’ll make sure that we have a very strong candidate to run and beat Kathy Hochul in 2026,.”
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Multiple sources confirmed to Fox News Digital last week that Stefanik is considering a 2026 bid for governor of New York. She withdrew from consideration as Trump’s United Nations ambassador to maintain House Republicans’ narrow majority, and is now the chairwoman of House Republican Leadership.
“Elise Stefanik wrote the book on how to flip a swing NY district and turn it into a Republican stronghold over the last decade. Elise was proud to lead the historic national GOP investment to help Republican candidates and Members win and hold swing districts across New York that delivered the House Republican Majority,” Alex deGrasse, Senior Advisor to Elise Stefanik, told Fox News Digital in a statement on Tuesday.
Lawler, who serves on the House Financial Services and Foreign Affairs Committee, echoed President Donald Trump’s sentiment shared from the courthouse to the campaign trail in 2024, that Democratic policies are hurting New York.
“We lead the nation in out-migration, have the highest tax burden, the worst business climate. The quality of life has declined significantly with rampant crime, the migrant crisis, decaying infrastructure. There are a lot of challenges in New York,” Lawler said.
The New York congressman said the path forward for his home state is increasing energy production, reducing tax burdens, restoring manufacturing and incentivizing Wall Street to stay in New York.
“New York is the greatest state in the country, and, unfortunately, under one-party Democratic rule over the last 20 years, it has declined because of these disastrous policies. We need to give New Yorkers hope. We need to give them a reason to vote for Republicans,” Lawler added.
Sources previously told Fox News Digital that Stefanik is being encouraged to run by allies of Trump and longtime friends. Stefanik outperformed the president in her congressional district in 2016, 2020 and 2024, which one source says could be an indicator that she could do well with New York’s swing voters. The Republican won with 62% of the vote in her strongly conservative district in November.
“Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is GREAT!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social last week as rumors swirled of Stefanik potentially challenging Hochul, who has sparred with Trump during his second term on immigration, abortion and education.
Lawler is serving his second term representing New York’s 17th Congressional District, which includes New York City’s northern suburbs. Among the other Republicans weighing a gubernatorial run are Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman, a close Trump ally, and longtime Bethany town supervisor Carl Hyde Jr. is also considering a run.
While Lawler and Stefanik have often campaigned together, such as for the Republican candidate during the 2024 special election to replace former Rep. George Santos, a Republican gubernatorial primary could shore up a brutal competition for the chance to challenge Hochul next year.
“Whichever one of Trump’s pathetic minions comes out of this messy GOP primary will be rejected by New Yorkers as they run on Trump’s destructive agenda that is raising costs, gutting health care, and attacking New Yorkers’ freedoms. Mike Lawler’s reckless abandonment of New Yorkers will end his political career next year, no matter which office he chooses to run for,” a spokesperson for Hochul’s re-election campaign told Fox News Digital in a statement.
Fox News Digital’s Cameron Arcand, Elizabeth Elkind and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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