NEW YORK (AP) — Republican U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik is running for governor of New York, her campaign announced Friday.

In a video shared on social media, Stefanik called Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul “the worst governor in America” and called New York “the most unaffordable state in the nation.”

Stefanik, who represents a solid red congressional district in upstate New York, has for months teased a run for governor, leveling heavy criticism at Hochul and more recently toward Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City.

Last year, President Donald Trump picked Stefanik, a staunch ally, to be the administration's ambassador to the United Nations, but months later rescinded the nomination over concerns about Republicans' tight margins in the House.

Though any Republican faces long

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