Mike Lawler's decision on a run for governor in 2026 is coming soon(ish)

And New York barely used the medical equipment stockpiled during the pandemic, a new audit found Friday.

Good afternoon — it’s Friday and National Pet Day.

In today’s CapCon:

• Here’s what’s going into Rep. Mike Lawler’s decision on a 2026 run for governor.

• New York only distributed three pieces of medical equipment out of more than 200,000 the state stockpiled during the pandemic.

• What’s on deck for Monday and next week at the Capitol.

• A new bill would allow more people to obtain orders of protection from harassers.

• Catch up on what you missed from the week with Eyes & Ears.

Names in today’s CapCon: Kathy Hochul, Mike Lawler, Andrew Cuomo, Tom DiNapoli, Andrew Gounardes, Shelley Mayer, Charles Lavine

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Rep. Mike Lawler (Allyse Pulliam/Special to the Times Union)

☑️ How Lawler is thinking about a 2026 run for governor

Let’s forget about the state budget for a day. We’re not expecting to learn much more, if anything, until next week anyway.

I want to instead touch on politics and, specifically, U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, a Hudson Valley Republican who’s considering a run for governor next year. You probably already know who he is.

The big question that reporters have had for Lawler over the past year is whether he’s planning to challenge Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2026. He’s a favorite among Republicans, who have other options as well if Lawler decides against a run.

Lawler did an interview Thursday night on 2WAY, which I guess is a new live video platform, and gave himself a deadline for his decision on a gubernatorial run.