Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is drawing attention to New York’s 2026 gubernatorial race using an unlikely image: a viral photo from a Coldplay concert that allegedly captured an affair between Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the company’s head of human resources, Kristin Cabot, as reported by Fox News.
Stefanik used the widely circulated image to criticize New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani.
“Commie Mamdani holding [Gov. Kathy Hochul] headed for re-election in 2026,” Stefanik posted on X, referencing the now-viral image and linking it to her political targets.
Commie Mamdani holding @KathyHochul headed for re-election in 2026 pic.twitter.com/uXO9KJ4Foq
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) July 17, 2025
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Fox News Digital reached out to both Mamdani and Hochul’s offices for comment, but neither responded.
Stefanik has not formally declared her candidacy for governor, but she continues to fuel speculation about a potential 2026 run.
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Once a top-ranking Republican in the House as GOP Conference Chair, Stefanik was previously nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
That nomination was later withdrawn, and she returned to her House seat, where she again assumed a leadership role.
While Stefanik has gained national attention, she is not the only House Republican reportedly considering a challenge to Hochul.
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., is also weighing a run. Lawler has flipped and held a competitive district in New York’s lower Hudson Valley, while Stefanik represents a strongly Republican area in upstate New York.
Despite their credentials, both face a steep climb in a statewide race. A Siena College poll released recently shows Gov. Hochul holding at least a 20-point lead over each of her potential challengers, including Stefanik, Lawler, and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
Hochul became governor in 2021 following the resignation of Andrew Cuomo. She then won her first full term in 2022. Cuomo, who is now running for New York City mayor, is facing off against Mamdani in a primary contest that has drawn significant attention on the left.
Mamdani recently returned to New York after meeting with several high-profile Democrats in Washington, D.C., including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
He is now seeking endorsements from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., as he looks to unseat current Mayor Eric Adams.
The political dynamics in New York continue to evolve as both parties prepare for a contentious 2026 election cycle.
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