8 hours ago
Is Stefanik Running? She Attacks Hochul as ‘Worst Governor.'
In recent months, the New York State Capitol has been a stage for Gov. Kathy Hochul to sell an agenda she believes will win her re-election next year.
It has also been a key backdrop in the drama surrounding who will challenge her.
The latest to do so was Representative Elise Stefanik, a powerful Trump loyalist who, during a rare appearance in Albany on Monday, sounded less interested in doing the president's bidding and more intent on carving her own political path.
She blasted Ms. Hochul as the 'worst governor in America' whose 'pro-criminal agenda' made New Yorkers less safe by 'putting violent criminals and illegals first and law abiding New Yorkers last.'
Ms. Stefanik, a six-term congresswoman, castigated the legislative actions of New York Democrats as 'anti-worker, anti-family, anti-farm, anti-small business, anti-manufacturing and anti-law enforcement.'
The remarks appeared to preview Ms. Stefanik's campaign themes if she runs. But they also misrepresented Ms. Hochul's views in claiming that Democrats had rejected common-sense reforms to the bail laws and refused to lower taxes. Ms. Hochul has repeatedly strengthened the state's bail laws, expending considerable political capital to do so. And while this year's state budget increased taxes on businesses with payrolls of $10 million or more a year to fund public transit infrastructure, it cut taxes for smaller businesses and households making less than $323,000. The budget also drastically expanded the state's child tax credit.
Ms. Stefanik, who represents a district that stretches from just north of Albany to the Canadian border, has long been a rising star in the Republican Party.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
