Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Elise Stefanik tore into Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday night, accusing her of �endorsing a raging antisemite� while simultaneously accepting an award from a prominent Jewish organization.
Speaking at the Zionist Organization of America�s annual gala in Manhattan, Stefanik said Hochul�s support for newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani represents a �moral collapse� in leadership.
�We know we are at a tipping point when the most important city in the world elects a raging antisemite, defund-the-police, tax-hiking Communist as mayor,� Stefanik said. �And this mayor was endorsed by none other than the weakest and worst governor in America, Kathy Hochul.�
Stefanik accused Mamdani of defending Hamas and aligning himself with �terrorist sympathizers.� She noted that Mamdani has �vowed to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu� and has a �family history steeped in sympathy for suicide bombers and terrorists.�
Stefanik�s fiery remarks came as Hochul receives backlash from Jewish leaders for backing Mamdani�s campaign amid growing concern over antisemitic incidents in New York. The congresswoman said Hochul�s endorsement was �a betrayal of every Jewish New Yorker.�
�At the very moment when New Yorkers needed moral clarity, Hochul showed weakness and endorsed a jihadist for mayor,� Stefanik said. �She threw Jewish New Yorkers under the bus�all because of her abysmal polling.�
The Republican leader, who launched her 2026 gubernatorial campaign last week, framed her bid as a �moral crusade� as much as a political one.
�This is not just a fight about New York�s economy,� she said. �It�s a fight for the soul of our state�to stand up against antisemitism and moral cowardice.�
Stefanik, who was honored with the ZOA�s Maccabee Warrior Award for combating antisemitism, tied her campaign rhetoric to broader concerns over hate crimes in the state. She cited a surge in antisemitic incidents, including the painting of a swastika outside Brooklyn�s Magen David Yeshiva the day after Mamdani�s election.
�That is what Kathy Hochul�s New York looks like,� Stefanik said. �New Yorkers deserve a leader who will say, �Not on my watch.��
Mamdani and Hochul both condemned the vandalism, but Stefanik argued their statements rang hollow, accusing the governor of �blessing� a political culture of antisemitism.
�Kathy Hochul hasn�t just allowed this downward spiral into dangerous antisemitism�she has blessed it, signed it, embraced it, and endorsed it,� Stefanik said to applause.
The Hochul campaign hit back, accusing Stefanik of hypocrisy and attempting to weaponize Jewish concerns for political gain.
�Elise Stefanik has cozied up to antisemites, even calling her allies who said they �love Hitler� the �backbone� of the New York GOP,� said Addison Dick, a spokesman for the New York State Democratic Party. �Governor Hochul is combating antisemitism and all forms of discrimination head-on, ensuring all New Yorkers feel safe and supported.�
Despite the Hochul camp’s insistence that she takes antisemitism seriously, Rep. Stefanik’s remarks drew a standing ovation at the ZOA event, where billionaire Miriam Adelson praised her as a �steadfast ally of Israel and the Jewish people.�
�When Jewish New Yorkers needed leadership the most,� she said, �Kathy Hochul bent the knee to Commie Mamdani and surrendered New York to the antisemitic socialists. That�s not leadership�it�s surrender.�
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One Response
If miss maga stefanik would do her homework, she’d find that Jews who were against him have accepted the outcome. Governor Hochul is pro Israel and a friend and supporter of our community.