Copyright Newsweek
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 officially announced she was running for New York governor. What to Know The possibility of Stefanik, a President Donald Trump ally, defeating Hochul in New York's 2026 gubernatorial race has prompted new scrutiny of the governor's legal authority to remove local officials from office. This mechanism, dormant for decades, could have significant ramifications for the balance of political power in New York and the nation’s largest city. The governor of New York possesses the authority, under the state constitution and the New York City Charter, to remove mayors and other local officials from office. "The mayor may be removed from office by the governor upon charges and after service upon him of a copy of the charges and an opportunity to be heard in his defense," the charter said. "Pending the preparation and disposition of charges, the governor may suspend the mayor for a period not exceeding thirty days.” This grants broad executive discretion but also requires a formal legal process—including the lodging of charges, the serving of those charges to the official in question, and an opportunity for the mayor to respond and present a defense, including cross-examining witnesses under oath. The process is not limited to specific categories of misconduct but has traditionally been reserved only for actions deemed "official misconduct or violation of public trust, or one that involves moral turpitude" committed during the official's current term, according to a ruling by State Supreme Court Justice Ellis Staley on a 1932 case challenging the extent of the removal powers of then-New York Governor Franklin Roosevelt. A judge cannot overturn the governor's decision, POLITICO reported in February of this year, when examining Hochul's powers to remove New York City Mayor Eric Adams from office. Should the mayor be removed, the city could be required to hold a special election within 90 days, depending on the timing of the removal and the provisions of the city charter. However, governors have exercised this power extremely rarely. The last time a New York City official was actually removed was in 1932, when Roosevelt removed Manhattan Sheriff Thomas Farley from office, POLITICO reported. Since then, the power has served more as a potential threat than an active instrument of governance, the report said. Stefanik's Standing in the 2026 Governor's Race According to polling conducted by the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank, in late October 2025, Stefanik holds a slight edge over Hochul, with 43 percent of polltakers supporting Stefanik and 42 percent backing Hochul. However, other polls show Hochul with a steep lead over Stefanik. A Siena College poll of 802 likely voters from September 8 to September 10, 2025, showed Hochul up by 25 points, 52 percent to 27 percent, with 17 percent undecided. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points. An internal poll paid for by Stefanik’s leadership fundraising committee, conducted by GrayHouse, found Hochul leading Stefanik by 5 points on an initial ballot, 48 percent to 43 percent, but Stefanik led on an informed ballot, 46.4 percent to 45.9 percent. It surveyed 1,2550 New York likely voters from September 20 to September 26, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. What People Are Saying Stefanik in a post on X announcing her bid for governor: "Kathy Hochul is the Worst Governor in America. Under her failed leadership, New York is the most unaffordable state in the nation with the highest taxes, highest energy, utilities, rent, and grocery bills. When New Yorkers were looking for leadership from our Governor, she bent the knee to the raging Defund the Police, Tax Hiking Communist causing catastrophe for New York families. I am running for Governor to make New York affordable and safe FOR ALL. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents will unify to save our state. It’s time to: FIRE HOCHUL. SAVE NEW YORK." Mamdani in his acceptance speech: "Together, we will usher in a generation of change. And if we embrace this brave new course, rather than fleeing from it, we can respond to oligarchy and authoritarianism with the strength it fears, not the appeasement it craves. After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. And if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power. This is not only how we stop Trump; it’s how we stop the next one. So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up." What Happens Next If Stefanik were to win the gubernatorial race, she would assume the broad constitutional authority to initiate removal proceedings against Mamdani. Any such effort would unfold through a formal process. The rarity of the mechanism means that legal and political challenges would be expected, and the fallout could reshape city and state politics. The scenario remains hypothetical, strongly dependent on both Stefanik winning the governorship and a determination of official misconduct or other grounds for removal pertaining to Mamdani’s actions as mayor. The high bar and historical caution exercised by past governors suggest the tool would be used only under exceptional circumstances.
