Lawler nears decision on NY governor bid

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) said during a cable news appearance Friday that he is nearing his decision on whether he will launch a gubernatorial bid to challenge New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D). 

“Are you running for governor of New York, yes or no?” CNN host Dana Bash asked Lawler, who represents New York’s 17th Congressional District. 

“As we are out of time — I will be making a decision in the next few weeks,” Lawler responded.

Lawler, who represents a battleground district in the House, previously said he would make a decision by June. He is not the only House GOP lawmaker seriously considering unseating Hochul, who was elected governor in November 2022. 

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), an ally of President Trump, is preparing to formally roll out her gubernatorial run, The Hill reported June 26. 

“It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when,” one of the sources told The Hill, adding that the Stefanik, whom Trump nominated to be his ambassador to the United Nations before withdrawing the bid in late March, will declare her candidacy “at the time and place” of her choosing.

Hochul leads Stefanik, Lawler and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman — all potential GOP gubernatorial candidates — by a minimum of 20 points in head-to-head match-ups, according to a Siena College poll published Tuesday. 

Trump endorsed both Blakeman and Lawler in May for reelection in their respective races. The president lost the blue-leaning state by 12 points during his 2024 presidential run, closing the gap compared to 2020, when he lost the Empire State to former President Biden by 23 points. 

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the 2026 New York governor’s race as “Likely Democrat.”