September 3, 2025
By Nick Reisman and Jeff Coltin
New York City Republican voters are going to be hearing from Rep. Elise Stefanik.
The potential gubernatorial candidate is the face of a get-out-the-vote effort for Big Apple Republicans — a role that stands to bolster Stefanik’s support far from her North Country House district.
Stefanik and the New York GOP are targeting Republican voters who turned out in the 2024 presidential election, but have not cast ballots in mayoral elections.
Text messages — in the form of personalized notes from Stefanik — will go to these GOP voters to encourage them to go to the polls this November.
She also plans to campaign on behalf of New York City Republicans in the coming weeks.
These moves are meant to aid candidates like mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa, currently polling in third place behind Democrat Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo, who is running an independent bid.
Sliwa faces an uphill climb to winning the mayoralty in the deep blue city. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has maintained a durable lead in polls since his upset June primary victory.
“With New York City on the brink of a possible communist takeover and the worst governor in America Kathy Hochul continuing to double down on her dangerous bail reform, sanctuary state policies, and skyhigh taxes, New York Republicans are working to win to save our state,” Stefanik said in a statement to Playbook.
Hochul’s state Democratic Committee allies scoffed at the effort and referenced some political headaches back in her district.
“Elise Stefanik is so busy shilling for Donald Trump, selling out New Yorkers, and getting booed by her own constituents that even the New York GOP is begging her to stay out of their local elections,” said state Democratic spokesperson Addison Dick. “No wonder she’s too scared to face the New Yorkers she’s supposed to represent.”
New York GOP Chair Ed Cox insisted the state party, which is spending at least $200,000 on a coordinated effort, is grateful for the support.
“Together, we have been able to successfully fight back against Democrats’ dark money machine and their cynical attempts to rig our elections,” he said.
Indeed, Stefanik may ultimately get a bounce from the campaigning.
The GOTV effort is part of a broader — and sweeping — statewide push to aid local-level New York Republicans in municipal elections this November.
GOP campaigns and committees in the state’s 62 counties are receiving some form of support.
“I want to thank the tens of thousands of supporters across New York and America for helping support and fund our historic effort through Save New York to fund local Republican candidates and committees in all 62 counties,” Stefanik said.
Stefanik’s political action committee, formed earlier this year, is pumping at least $500,000 into municipal elections — all in a bid to aid GOP candidates upstate, in New York City and on Long Island.
Downstate support will be especially crucial for Stefanik, who has represented a sprawling House district that borders Canada for the last 10 years.
A statewide run for a Republican remains a challenge. The GOP is shut out of power in Albany and last held the governor’s office 20 years ago.
Hochul held a 23-point advantage over Stefanik in a June Siena College poll, which narrowed to a 14-point gap in August. — Nick Reisman
Read the story in Playbook New York HERE.
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