New York Rep. Elise Stefanik is dropping out of the state’s gubernatorial race, she announced in a post on X on Friday. Stefanik also announced that she will not seek reelection to Congress in 2026.
“While we would have overwhelmingly won this primary, it is not an effective use of our time or your generous resources to spend the first half of next year in an unnecessary and protracted Republican primary, especially in a challenging state like New York,” Stefanik wrote.
Stefanik, who has represented her upstate New York district since 2015, was vying for the Republican nomination for the governor’s seat against Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, another ally of President Donald Trump.
Republicans were looking to Trump to make an endorsement in the race to clear the field, but the president said last week that Stefanik and Blakeman were both “fantastic people.”
Stefanik expressed frustration that “Trump didn’t clear out her path and make it easy” for her get the Republican nomination, according to a New York GOP operative familiar with the situation. A second source familiar with the matter confirmed that Stefanik was frustrated about having to deal with a primary.
Stefanik’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The last time a Republican governor was elected in New York was in 2002, and polls show that Gov. Kathy Hochul is favored to win another term. Blakeman’s entrance into the race this month — more than a month after Stefanik announced her candidacy in November — prompted worries about whether a messy Republican primary could reduce the party’s chances of taking back power in the state.
Stefanik says she will focus on her private life.
“I know that as a mother, I will feel profound regret if I don’t further focus on my young son’s safety, growth, and happiness – particularly at his tender age,” her post said.
The New York Republican was once seen as a rising star in her party. She chaired the House Republican Conference from 2021 until she was nominated to serve as United Nations ambassador in late 2024.
Trump pulled Stefanik’s nomination in March amid concerns about Republicans’ narrowing majority in the House.
This story was produced as part of a partnership between NOTUS and THE CITY.
