Billionaire Adelson Signals Support for Stefanik’s New York Gubernatorial Bid

Billionaire philanthropist Miriam Adelson offered strong words of support for Rep. Elise Stefanik’s New York gubernatorial campaign during the Zionist Organization of America’s Justice Louis D. Brandeis Award Dinner on Sunday evening, praising the congresswoman’s efforts to confront antisemitism in government and higher education.

While falling short of a formal endorsement, Adelson’s comments represent a significant boost for Stefanik, who officially launched her 2026 campaign against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul last Friday.

“When I heard you talking to the heads of the universities, I said to myself, ‘She has the guts to say the truth,'” Adelson told attendees at the New York gala, where Stefanik received the organization’s Mortimer Zuckerman Maccabee Warrior Award. “Sheldon used to say, ‘stand up for what you believe in even if you stand up alone,’ and you showed us and all the world courage.”

Adelson, whose net worth exceeds $30 billion, is the majority owner of Las Vegas Sands and has been a prominent Republican mega-donor in recent election cycles, including backing pro-Trump super PACs. Her late husband, Sheldon Adelson, was known for his political influence and philanthropy before his death.

In her remarks, Adelson described Stefanik as “a great leader” for defending “the Jewish people, Israel and the Free World,” concluding with what many interpreted as a nod toward Stefanik’s political aspirations: “I hope to visit you in the office of New York governor next year after the election.”

Stefanik expressed gratitude for the support, telling Fox News Digital: “I am honored to receive such high praise and support from my friend Dr. Adelson who has served as a pillar of Jewish advocacy and strength in her fight to ensure the light of freedom, faith, and truth never goes out.”

The congresswoman, who represents a conservative-leaning district in upstate New York, has been one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies in Congress and serves as the House Republican Conference Chair. Her gubernatorial bid had been anticipated for months before her official announcement last week.

Stefanik has positioned herself as a strong critic of Governor Hochul, repeatedly labeling her “the worst governor in America” and criticizing her policies on taxes, crime, and energy costs.

“I’m running for governor to make New York affordable and safe. We have seen decades of single-party rule led by Democrats,” Stefanik said during her campaign announcement on Fox & Friends. “New York is the most unaffordable state in the nation, with the highest taxes, the highest energy bills, the highest utility bills.”

The campaign launch comes in the wake of Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral race, a development Stefanik has leveraged in her criticism of Hochul. “Kathy Hochul endorsed him and bent the knee,” Stefanik claimed, characterizing Mamdani as “a raging anti-Semite pro-Hamas communist who wants to raise taxes.”

Hochul has quickly gone on the offensive, attacking Stefanik as a “Trump Republican” who “will always put Trump first and you last.” The governor also criticized Stefanik’s voting record, claiming she “owns this shutdown” and has voted with Trump “100% of the time this year.”

The burgeoning race signals a high-stakes battle for control of New York, traditionally a Democratic stronghold. Stefanik’s national profile and fundraising potential, bolstered by support from figures like Adelson, could make the 2026 gubernatorial contest one of the most closely watched in the country.

Stefanik first gained national prominence for her questioning during Trump’s first impeachment hearings and has since evolved from an occasional Trump critic to one of his most reliable defenders in Congress, a transformation that parallels her rise in House Republican leadership.