Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik drops out of race for NY governor

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik said Friday that she is suspending her campaign for governor and won’t seek re-election to Congress, a move that spoils the plans of New York Republicans who saw her as their best candidate to defeat Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Stefanik, 41, said she reached the decision after relaxing with her family before Christmas. In a social media post, she said she was motivated in part by a desire to spend more time with her son and to avoid a primary against Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.

“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 on X.

She also referenced her son, Sam, who turned 4 years old this summer.

“While many know me as Congresswoman, my most important title is Mom,” Stefanik wrote. “I believe that being a parent is life's greatest gift and greatest responsibility. I have thought deeply about this and 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.”

Republican officials were caught off-guard by the news. As recently as Monday, New York GOP Chairman Ed Cox said Stefanik was the best candidate to take on Hochul. A spokesperson for Cox didn’t return a request for comment.

Indeed, Stefanik has been relentlessly attacking Hochul for most of the year over her criminal justice policies and endorsement of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.

The move makes Blakeman, 70, the presumptive front-runner for the gubernatorial nomination. Blakeman praised Stefanik in a statement on Friday. Earlier this week he said he was a better candidate because he had crossover appeal.

“I have the leadership skills and I have the track record,” he said. He believed his record in Nassau County — which includes hiring additional police officers, cooperating with immigration officials and holding the line on taxes — would resonate around the state.

President Donald Trump declined to back Stefanik over Blakeman, saying both were “great people.” After Stefanik’s announcement, Suffolk County Republican Chairman Jesse Garcia endorsed Blakeman, calling him “a proven leader who will bring the values of Long Island families back to Albany.”

Conservative Party Chairman Jerry Kassar said he started to hear on Tuesday that Stefanik was telling donors she might drop out. She canceled plans to appear at party dinners in Oneida and Albany counties.

“I think she was a strong statewide candidate, but you have to have your heart in the race,” said Kassar, whose party often cross-endorses Republican candidates. “She didn’t get an outright endorsement [from the president] … I suppose these disappointments were weighing on her.”

Other Republicans praised Stefanik, who was first elected to represent the 21st District in 2014. The district covers the Adirondack Park as well as parts of the Mohawk and upper Hudson valleys, and candidates including State Assemblymember Robert Smullen are already vying for the seat.

“I was proud to support her campaign for governor. I also respect her decision to put family first,” Smullen said. “Public service is demanding, and her commitment to her role as a mother is something every parent can understand and admire.”

Stefanik was the youngest woman elected to Congress when she took office in 2015. A former White House aide in the administration of George W. Bush, she initially ran as a moderate and flipped the seat back into GOP control after a brief tenure of Democratic control.

Stefanik kept Trump at arm’s length during his 2016 campaign, but eventually became one of the president’s staunchest defenders in Congress. She was part of his defense team during his 2020 impeachment trial and later won a spot in the House leadership after Republicans removed Liz Cheney for criticizing the president.

Trump nominated Stefanik as ambassador to the United Nations, but the job offer collapsed amid concerns about the narrow majority that Republicans currently hold in the U.S. House of Representatives. Stefanik then turned her attention to a gubernatorial run, announcing just after election day.

There are nearly twice as many Democrats as Republicans in New York, so Stefanik always faced an uphill climb. Trump’s relative unpopularity in New York also created a challenge, pollsters said.

Indeed, a Siena University survey released this week showed Hochul defeating Stefanik, 49-30, with 20% of voters surveyed undecided. Hochul beat Blakeman in the same poll 50-25.

“Elise Stefanik has finally acknowledged reality,” Hochul campaign spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki said. “If you run against Governor Kathy Hochul, you are going to lose.”