USA (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik announces her withdrawal from the New York governor’s race, confirming she will not seek re-election to Congress.
She made her declaration a few days after Republican Bruce Blakeman, who is close to Donald Trump like Stefanik, declared he would run against her in the 2026 governor’s election primary.
Early in November, Stefanik declared her intention to run against Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul.
Although she thinks she would have won the primary, Stefanik stated in a post on X on Friday that “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 campaign”.
She claimed she wanted time to spend with her family in the long statement.
“I believe that being a parent is life’s greatest gift and greatest responsibility,”
she said.
“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.”
Stefanik will face Blakeman in the primary after Blakeman, a two-term Republican executive for Nassau County in Long Island, New York, declared his candidacy for governor earlier this month.
Stefanik has “finally acknowledged” that she will lose the run against New York Governor Kathy Hochul, according to a spokesman for Hochul’s team on Friday.
Ryan Radulovacki stated that
“Hochul’s message to him [Blakeman] or whichever lackey Trump picks to run against her is simple: Bring it on.”
Ahead of the anticipated difficult primary, President Trump said to reporters,
“They’re both great people. We have a lot of great people with the Republican party.”
He described Stefanik as” a tremendous gift” on Truth Social on Friday, adding that he’s” with her all the way” no matter what she does.
Since 2014, Stefanik, 41, has served as the representative for New York’s 21st congressional quarter, which is located north of Albany and encompasses the Adirondack Mountains.
She has been a loyal backer of Trump, getting one of his most open lawyers during his original indictment in 2019.
Trump first proposed her as a UN minister for his alternate term, but he latterly withdrew the training because of enterprises about the Democratic maturity in the US House of Representatives.
George Pataki, the final Republican governor of New York, held office until 2007.
How Stefanik withdrawal affects 2026 governor primary dynamics?
Elise Stefanik’s pullout from the 2026 New York governor’s race clears the Democratic primary field for contenders like Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, potentially avoiding an expensive intra-party fight.
Stefanik, who led pates and raised over $12 million, cited resource waste in a prolonged primary despite her likely palm; her exit ends enterprise of a Trump- fueled countersign battle, allowing Republicans to unify before against Popular contestant Kathy Hochul.
The decision shifts focus to Blakeman’s crusade in a blue- leaning state, where Republicans have not won since 2002; it also opens her safe NY- 21 House seat, complicating House control amid competitive 2026 races.
