STATEMENT: Two Down, One to Go – Stefanik Drops Out to Avoid Losing by a Landslide to Governor Kathy Hochul
NEW YORK — Today, Elise Stefanik, “top ally” of Donald Trump’s who bragged about being the “deciding vote” for his agenda and the “strongest candidate to defeat Kathy Hochul,” saw the writing on the wall. Just like Mike Lawler before her.
If you run against Governor Kathy Hochul, you will lose. By a lot.
Hochul Campaign Spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki released the following statement in response:
“Elise Stefanik has finally acknowledged reality: If you run against Governor Kathy Hochul, you are going to lose. As Donald Trump raises costs on New Yorkers and targets this state relentlessly, Governor Hochul has cut middle-class taxes, put money back in New Yorkers’ pockets, and fought this administration and won when New York has come under attack.
“The fact is, ‘100% MAGA’ Bruce Blakeman traveled all the way to D.C. to celebrate Trump’s expensive tariffs, he ran Long Island’s safety net hospital into the ground by appointing corrupt cronies to run it, and let violent crime in Nassau County spike to its highest level in a decade. Governor Hochul’s message to him or whichever lackey Trump picks to run against her is simple: Bring it on.”
THE WRITING ON THE WALL IN QUESTION:
- Trump and his agenda are deeply unpopular with voters across New York.
- Trump has a 35-61% favorability rating, near his lowest in New York since September 2023. Over half of New York voters (51%) strongly disapprove of the job Trump is doing as president.
- New York voters overwhelmingly disapprove (69-29%) of the job Trump is doing to address the cost of living for everyday Americans, and oppose
Trump’s tariffs by a 61-28% margin. New York voters believe by a 52-28% margin that Trump and Stefanik’s “Big Beautiful Bill” will worsen, not improve, life for a majority of Americans.
- Elise Stefanik knew her undying support for Donald Trump’s policies was too toxic for a general election:
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- Stefanik voted with Trump 100 percent of the time this year.
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- Stefanik voted to enable Trump’s tariff tax hikes that have sent prices skyrocketing, crushed farmers, and put small businesses in “survival mode.”
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- Stefanik: “I am ultra-MAGA. And I’m proud of it.”
BRUCE BLAKEMAN IS IN AN EVEN WORSE POSITION:
- Siena’s poll released Tuesday had Elise Stefanik trailing the governor by 19 points. Blakeman trails by a whopping 25 points.
- Donald Trump has called Blakeman “100% MAGA” and said he has been “with us from the very beginning” – unlike Stefanik, who spent years criticizing Trump.
- After Trump gutted Medicaid and SNAP and jacked up costs on New York families with expensive tariffs, Blakeman specified that he believes that Trump is doing an “amazing job.”
- Blakeman didn’t just fly out for Trump’s tariff announcement in April – he was literally shouted out by the president at that event.
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- Even as they’ve thrown small businesses into chaos and raised costs across the board, Blakeman cheered on and “defended” the tariffs.
- Bruce Blakeman has run for office at every level in New York state – even in New York City – and, simply put, has a long track record of losing big:
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- 1998, State Comptroller: Blakeman lost by more than 32 points.
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- 1999, Nassau County Legislature: Blakeman ran for re-election and lost.
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- 2008/09, NYC Mayor: Blakeman pulled out of the GOP primary before it even happened.
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- 2010, U.S. Senate: Blakeman finished dead last in the GOP primary with just 21%, but remained on the general election ballot – and received less than 5,000 total votes.
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- 2014, U.S. House: Blakeman managed to lose by 5 points in a cycle where Republicans achieved their largest House majority in nearly a hundred years.
