NEW YORK (ABC22/FOX44) - Congresswoman Elise Stefanik made it official Friday: She is running to be the next governor of New York in 2026.

The North Country representative shared the long-expected news just after 6:00 a.m. in a dramatic campaign video posted to social media, largely taking shots at Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.

The announcement bookends an eventful 2025 for Stefanik. The 41-year-old started the year thinking she'd end it as U.N. Ambassador. However, President Donald Trump rescinded her nomination in March over concerns about the Republican Party's narrow majority in the House. Speaker Mike Johnson later appointed Stefanik the "Chairwoman of House Republican Leadership." Then, last month, she announced the upcoming release of her book

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