Rep. Mike Lawler’s (R-N.Y.) decision to forgo a New York gubernatorial run has cleared a path for Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to mount her own candidacy, teeing up what will be one of the most watched governor’s races next year.

Lawler’s choice takes off the table a potentially bitter primary that New York Republicans hoped to avoid in a state the GOP has increasingly set their sights on. Democrats took the news as a win, arguing Lawler, who has cultivated a reputation as a moderate, is more electable.

But Republicans said the congressman’s decision allows them to skip over a messy intraparty battle and direct their full attention to ousting Gov. Kathy Hochul (D).

“We have to unify behind a candidate sooner rather than later and dedicate our resources to the task at hand, which is ending Kathy Hochul’s disastrous reign as governor and putting our state back on a path to prosperity,” said Erie County GOP Chair Michael Kracker.

Republicans have for months been itching to face Hochul in 2026.

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), who now serves as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, surprised many in 2022 when he came within 6.5 points of defeating Hochul in the state's closest gubernatorial race in decades. Republicans also picked up multiple House seats, including Lawler’s, as part of a disappointing night for Democrats in the Empire State.

While Democrats picked up a few of those seats last November and won New York by double digits in the presidential race, the state experienced the largest rightward shift toward President Trump of any state in the country.

With polls often showing Hochul’s

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