Kathy Hochul celebrates Mike Lawler ruling out gubernatorial bid

Published July 23, 2025 3:04pm ET



Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) said Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) “doesn’t have the spine” to challenge her for the governor’s seat.

Lawler announced Wednesday he has no plans to run for New York governor and will instead run for reelection in 2026. Hochul took to X the same day to mock the Republican representative.

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