By: Jerome Brookshire

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, now the Republican frontrunner in the 2026 New York gubernatorial race, unleashed one of her sharpest attacks yet on Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday, accusing the Democratic incumbent of reneging on her pledge not to raise taxes and of accelerating what Stefanik has repeatedly labeled an “affordability crisis” devastating households across the state.

In a blistering statement, Stefanik said Hochul had once again demonstrated an instinct for “political desperation,” arguing that her willingness to consider broad-based tax increases—despite earlier assurances to the contrary—illustrates a deeper pattern of capitulation to New York’s ascendant progressive bloc. Stefanik charged that Hochul, under pressure from what she called “the Socialists,” is now prepared to inflict further financial burdens on families already strained by soaring costs in housing, utilities, and consumer staples.

“Like clockwork, the Worst Governor in America Kathy Hochul is making New York even more unaffordable after breaking her promise and committing to raising taxes,” Stefanik declared, asserting that the governor’s policy posture will “further crush hardworking New York families.”

Stefanik’s remarks call attention to a central theme of her gubernatorial bid: that Hochul’s stewardship has exacerbated a cost-of-living crisis disproportionately harming the middle class, and that only a change in leadership can reverse New York’s economic trajectory. The Republican congresswoman has made affordability, public safety, and government accountability pillars of her campaign, and Thursday’s broadside signaled yet another escalation in what is expected to become one of the most combative gubernatorial races in recent state history.

Stefanik’s critique zeroed in on what she characterized as Hochul’s long-standing “bait-and-switch” tendency, recounting past controversies to frame the governor as untrustworthy and politically opportunistic. Chief among these examples is Hochul’s handling of congestion pricing—a program she previously appeared ambivalent about, but ultimately championed before abruptly pausing it earlier this year amid intense backlash from business owners, commuters, and suburban leaders.

“New Yorkers saw the same bait-and-switch routine when she implemented her illegal congestion pricing tax after saying she wouldn’t,” Stefanik said. While Hochul later ordered a temporary halt to the contentious program, Stefanik and other critics insist that the governor’s reversal came too late and that the financial architecture behind the plan remains intact, leaving open the possibility of future reactivation.

By invoking congestion pricing—long a political lightning rod—Stefanik aimed to draw a straight line between what she views as broken commitments and the governor’s current willingness to raise taxes on businesses. The Republican hopeful argued that Hochul’s policies have consistently punished employers at a moment when commercial real estate vacancies remain elevated and small businesses continue to struggle with post-pandemic recovery.

“And now we’re about to see her biggest tax hike on businesses yet,” Stefanik said, asserting that Hochul’s approach will accelerate an exodus of employers to lower-tax jurisdictions and hobble the state’s efforts to maintain competitiveness in finance, technology, and manufacturing.