Rep. Elise Stefanik will formally announce her run for governor once November�s elections are over, New York Republican Party Chair Ed Cox said, setting the stage for a 2026 matchup with Democratic incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Cox, who was re-elected this week to another two-year term as party chair, told reporters Stefanik will have a clear path to the GOP nomination and that the state party does not plan to hold a primary.

�She just doesn�t want to, in fact, sort of get mixed up in the local elections,� Cox said of the North Country congresswoman�s timing. �Let those happen, let the candidates carry that, let them be highlighted, and then after that she will declare.�

Pressed on the nomination process, Cox added: �We�re not going to have a primary this year.�

The move cements Stefanik as the party�s standard-bearer following Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler�s decision in July not to pursue a gubernatorial campaign.

Asked for comment, a Stefanik spokesperson pointed to her Fox News Radio interview earlier Wednesday, when host Brian Kilmeade asked about her timeline.

�After the November elections, Brian,� Stefanik said. �You have to make sure that Republicans continue to do well. We�ve made those investments in each of the 62 counties. We have key races, and after this November I look forward to making my announcement. And we�re getting an outpouring of support all across the state.�

Cox, who ran unopposed, will now serve his seventh term as chair of the state GOP.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)