Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik has withdrawn from the New York governor’s race and announced she will not seek another term in Congress, ending what was expected to be a high-profile Republican primary battle ahead of the 2026 election.
Stefanik, a close ally of President Donald Trump, said in a statement Friday that she decided to step aside to focus on her family, just days after another Trump-aligned Republican entered the race.
Stefanik had launched her campaign in early November to challenge Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, positioning herself as the leading Republican contender. That calculation shifted this month when Bruce Blakeman, the Republican executive of Nassau County on Long Island, announced his own bid for governor.
Blakeman’s entry set up a potentially divisive primary contest between two prominent Trump allies. Stefanik said she believed she would have won such a race but concluded that continuing was not the best use of time or resources.
In a post on X, Stefanik said spending months in a prolonged primary campaign would be unnecessary, adding that her priorities had changed.
In a lengthy statement, Stefanik emphasized her role as a parent in explaining her decision to step away from elected office.
“I believe that being a parent is life’s greatest gift and greatest responsibility,” she wrote. She added that she would feel “profound regret” if she did not devote more attention to her young son’s safety and well-being.
Her announcement also confirmed she will not seek re-election to the House, where she has represented New York’s 21st Congressional District since 2014.
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A spokesperson for Gov. Hochul’s campaign welcomed the news, saying Stefanik had “finally acknowledged” the political reality of the race. The campaign added that Hochul is prepared to face any Republican challenger who emerges.
President Trump did not publicly back either Stefanik or Blakeman ahead of the expected primary, recently telling reporters that both were “great people” within the Republican Party.
After Stefanik’s announcement, Trump praised her on Truth Social as “a tremendous talent,” adding that he remains “with her all the way” regardless of her next steps.
At 41, Stefanik is one of the most prominent Republicans from New York and rose to national prominence as a leading defender of Trump during his first impeachment in 2019. She later became one of his most vocal allies in Congress.
Trump initially nominated her to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for his second term but withdrew the nomination, citing concerns about maintaining the Republican majority in the House of Representatives.