A surge of surprise hit the GOP scene this Friday when Representative Elise Stefanik announced she would abandon her bid to become New York’s next governor.
In a heartfelt X post, she explained that she’d decided “to suspend my campaign for Governor and will not seek re‑election to Congress” while she was “spending precious time with my family this Christmas season.”
She added that the choice was not easy for her family, and she noted that even though the primary would almost certainly favor her, it would “not be 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.”
The flip‑flop came after a buzz among Empire State conservatives who had been speculating that the Trump‑backed Republican would take on Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2026.
With Stefanik stepping aside, the state will likely see a cleaner primary between Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and the absent contender, sparing the party a potentially bruising showdown.
Recent polls show Hochul out front over both Stefanik and Blakeman, even though more than half of New Yorkers say they want a new governor. President Trump remained deliberately neutral in the emerging intra‑party contest.
In a brief statement, he said, “He’s a friend. She’s a friend. These are two great people running. In a way, I hate to see them running against each other. I hope they’re not going to be damaging each other.”
Stefanik had earlier been eyed for a U.N. ambassadorship, but Trump withdrew that nomination to keep her in a tight‑margin congressional majority.
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