Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik announced that she is withdrawing from the race for governor of New York and will not seek re-election to Congress.
Her announcement came days after Republican Bruce Blakeman, who like Stefanik is a close ally of Donald Trump, said he intends to challenge her in the upcoming primaries for the 2026 governor's race.
Stefanik announced her bid to challenge Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in early November.
In a post on X on Friday, Stefanik said that while she believes she would have won the 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 drawn-out” campaign.
In a lengthy statement, she said she needed time to focus on her family.
“I believe that being a parent is life’s greatest gift and greatest responsibility,” she said.
“I have thought deeply about this and know that as a mother I would feel deep regret if I no longer focused on the safety, development and happiness of my young son, especially at his tender age.”
Blakeman, who served two terms as the Republican supervisor of Nassau County on Long Island, New York, announced his candidacy for governor earlier this month, setting up a primary clash with Stefanik.
A spokeswoman for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's campaign said Friday that Stefanik has “finally accepted” the reality that she will lose the race against her.
Ryan Radulovatsky added that “Hochul's message to him [Blakeman] or whatever lackey Trump chooses to fight her, it’s simple: go ahead.”
President Trump has not taken sides ahead of what is expected to be a tough primary, recently telling reporters: “They're both great people. We have a lot of great people in the Republican Party.”
On Friday's Truth Social, he said Stefanik is a “huge talent,” adding that he's “with her 'til the end” no matter what she does.
Stefanik, 41, has represented New York's 21st Congressional District, which sits north of Albany and includes the Adirondack Mountains, since 2014.
She has been a staunch Trump ally, becoming one of his most vocal supporters during his first impeachment in 2019.
In his second term, Trump initially nominated her to be UN ambassador, but withdrew her nomination due to concerns about the Republican majority in the US House of Representatives.
New York's last Republican governor, George Pataki, served in office until 2007.
