U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican, says she may challenge Gov. Kathy Hochul in next year’s race for governor.

Elise Stefanik may have waved a sad goodbye to the swanky, $16 million penthouse granted to the United Nations ambassador. But as far as taxpayer-funded residences go, the 40-room Executive Mansion here in Albany isn’t a bad consolation prize.

That’s not to suggest that Stefanik is weighing future jobs based on the housing. The Republican congresswoman from Saratoga is considering a 2026 run for governor because she thinks she can win.

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That may seem crazy. New York, as you know, is deep blue, and Stefanik is MAGA red.

Any Republican considering a run for governor here knows the odds are long and the pitfalls are numerous. And Stefanik, 40, would be giving up a safe congressional seat and GOP leadership positions. It’s fair to wonder if the risk would be worth taking.

But Stefanik is the best-known Republican in the state, which means it’s natural she would eye a run for governor. And she can make a good case for her chances.

She’d be facing a deeply unpopular Democrat, assuming Gov. Kathy Hochul is the nominee. In a new Marist poll in which voters express deep dissatisfaction with just about everything, nearly 60% of........

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