Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York is dropping out of the state’s gubernatorial race, she announced in a post to 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’s 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.”
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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.
A third source familiar with Stefanik’s campaign denied that the congresswoman was frustrated with Trump, but did express dismay with Blakeman’s decision to jump into the primary, referring to it as a “selfish candidacy.”
“It was clear from the outset that Republicans must avoid a primary to ensure a laser focus on winning the general election,” this source told NOTUS. “Elise Stefanik outperforms Bruce Blakeman in every poll and would demolish him at the primary ballot box, but his actions threatening to broker the upcoming Republican convention, and his determination to tank the Republican Party’s chances in the general election are not only disgraceful, they are selfish when the stakes are so very high.”
Stefanik spoke with Trump on Friday, a fourth source familiar with the conversation told NOTUS. Trump was “surprised but supportive” of Stefanik’s decision to drop out, this source said.
Blakeman’s office 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 have found that Gov. Kathy Hochul is favored to win another term. Blakeman’s entrance this month into the race — more than a month after Stefanik in November announced her candidacy — prompted worries about whether a messy Republican primary could reduce the party’s chances of taking back power in the state.
Hochul’s campaign welcomed Blakeman’s challenge.
“The fact is, ‘100% MAGA’ Bruce Blakeman traveled all the way to D.C. to celebrate Trump’s expensive tariffs, he ran Long Island’s safety net hospital into the ground by appointing corrupt cronies to run it, and let violent crime in Nassau County spike to its highest level in a decade. Governor Hochul’s message to him or whichever lackey Trump picks to run against her is simple: Bring it on,” spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki said in a statement.
For her part, 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 late 2024 when she was nominated to serve as United Nations ambassador.
Trump in March pulled Stefanik’s nomination amid concerns about Republicans’ narrowing majority in the House.
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This story was produced as part of a partnership between NOTUS and The City.
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