U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik, a Republican, formally entered the gubernatorial race against New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday. Should Stefanik win the governor's seat in 2026, a rarely used gubernatorial power could allow her to oust newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat.

Newsweek reached out to Stefanik's and Mamdani's press teams by email for comment.

Why it Matters

On Tuesday, voters elected Mamdani as New York City's mayor with 50.4 percent of the vote. Mamdani was endorsed by Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat. In the days since, Stefanik has repeatedly slammed Hochul for her endorsement and Mamdani for his values, calling the former the "worst governor in America” and the latter an "Antisemite Jihadist Communist."

On Friday, Stefanik offici

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