According to familiarity, Republican leaders are trying to convince Rep. Mike Lawler (RN.Y.
Lawler said he has not yet made a final decision on whether he will launch the 2026 governor movement. But party leaders have been upset at his prospect of giving up one of only three Republican-controlled regions in the 2024 presidential election and have privately urged him to stay in the House as they seek to protect their narrow majority. Some advisers close to President Donald Trump also have similar concerns about Lawler's running for governor, according to two Republican sources familiar with the matter.
Rep. Richard Hudson, chairman of the National Republican Congress Committee, recently met with Trump at the White House, calling Lawler a "outstanding" House candidate.
"I hope he won't run for governor," Hudson told NBC News. When asked if he had conveyed these feelings to Lawler, he said, "Yes."
Republicans believe Lawler is a two-term congressman and a former member of the New York Assembly, and his position is to earn his unique position in the Hudson Valley region, which is why several senior Republican sources say they think it is difficult to recruit candidates to replace him. Lawler, considered one of the most vulnerable Republican lawmakers, is about to be re-election for the last cycle, and finally won nearly 6 percentage points.
"No one is waiting for his quality," said the National Republican strategist who participated in the family competition. "Everyone has a very high idea of Mike and we believe he has a unique qualification to run for and win a seat."
Lawler said he will decide on his plan by June.
"As I said throughout the process, I will decide whether to run for governor in June," Lawler said in a statement to NBC News. "This decision will be based on many factors and considerations and will be made separately by my decisions or desires of any of my colleagues."
Democrats only need to get three seats to regain control of the House, and the presidential party usually loses seats in the midterm elections. For Trump, the Democratic-controlled house also means he could face an investigation attack and could be the third impeachment each.
NBC News first reported this month, Rep. Elise Stefanik, RN.Y. It is also imminent in this situation, as she is considering a bid for the governor.
Trump withdraws Stefanick's nomination last month as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for fear of Republicans' narrow housing margins as they try to pass a comprehensive domestic policy agenda. But party leaders will not be worried about defending Stefanick's seat in upstate New York in November, rather than Lawler, which opened next year, which scored 21 points in November.
R-la. Speaker Mike Johnson said he would rather Lawler and Stefanik stay in the House when NBC News asked him if he had already spoken to them, adding that he would support anything they decided to do.
"I have a lot of conversations. I love them all. They are two of my favorites and my most trusted colleagues, and they are both talented, which is why they are being talked about for doing other things," Johnson said in a weekly press conference Tuesday. "I mean, my preference is that they are all with me, right? We got the job done, but, but I don't feel honest about any other opportunities and we end up supporting them with everything they do."
After Stefanik summoned Johnson on social media for these remarks, Johnson clarified that he had no regard for Stefanik's governor's ambitions, but that just meant he had conversations with his members about potential opportunities in general.
Stefanik's office declined to provide further comments. Johnson's office also declined to comment.
Tensions between the two camps have been brewing privately for weeks as Johnson is still working to deliver on his promise to place Stefanik on the House Intelligence Committee after his nomination for the UN ambassador to the United Nations. Now, some of these tensions are spilling out in the public eye.
In the same social media post Tuesday, Stefanick said she “looks forward to talking to fellow Republicans in New York City.” Sources familiar with the invitation list said Johnson plans to hold a smaller meeting with some so-called salt Republicans in the office, including Lawler, but not everyone is invited to attend. Among them is Stefanik, who voted against the 2017 tax law because it deducted a $10,000 cap for salt.
But according to another source familiar with the plan, Johnson began opening the salt conference, including other Republicans who care about the issue. How Republicans talk about how salt hats will have a significant impact on high-tax blue states like New York in their bill on Trump agenda, and that it could be a key issue in the governor’s race.
Senior New York Republicans told NBC News they believe Stefanik, one of Trump's top ally on Capitol Hill, could easily beat Lawler in the primary if he decides to run.
However, the New York Republican Party has less confidence in Stefanik's performance in the general election. Although some polls have found that Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul has had a high approval rate, and she only nearly defeated former Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin in 2022, New York has not elected a Republican governor since 2002. Since 2002, the political environment may be difficult to carry out in 2026 with the Republican president.
A senior New York Republican is skeptical that Stefanick or Lawler can win the election.
"That's 3 million more than us," the Republican said. Hochul "even if she's turned upside down now, she might win."