President Donald Trump on Saturday endorsed Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in the New York gubernatorial race, just a day after Rep. Elise Stefanik, R.N.Y. dropped out of school Republican Party primary elections.
Trump called Blakeman a 'FANTASTIC guy' and offered him his 'Total and complete support' Truth Social.
“Bruce is a MAGA all the way and has been with me from the beginning. As Nassau County Executive, he works tirelessly with the brave heroes of ICE, Border Patrol and Law Enforcement to keep our borders SECURE, stop migrant crime, protect our community and ensure LAW AND ORDER,” Trump wrote.
Blakeman, a Trump ally, entered the Republican primary earlier this month despite Trump's attempt to apparently push him to stay out of the race after supporting Blakeman's re-election to his current post.
Blakeman's entry into the primary marks Stefanik's first high-profile challenger since she formally announced her long-awaited bid for governor in November. Another potential challenger to Stefanik, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., has decided to run again for the battleground House seat after receiving similar re-election support from Trump earlier this year.
Blakeman's decision to enter the race has brought New York Republicans into a potentially contentious battle, even though whichever Republican emerges victorious in the primary will likely face an uphill battle in the blue state.
Trump last week – before Stefanik dropped out of the race – praised both Stefanik and Blakeman. He called Stefanik a “great Republican” and her then-rival a “very good Republican.”
Blakeman attended a reception in honor of Hanukkah at the White House earlier this week.
Announcing the suspension of his campaign and his decision not to seek re-election to Congress, Stefanik said on Friday that she “would have overwhelmingly won this primary” but wanted to rid the state of “unnecessary and drawn-out Republican primaries, especially in a tough state like New York.”
Stefanik used to be elected chairman of the House Republican Conference in 2021. She left that position when Trump selected her to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations earlier this year. She returned to Congress without a leadership title. after Trump withdrew his candidacy for this role.
