Stefanik drops New York governor bid, will leave Congress

 Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) announced Friday that she was suspending her bid for New York governor and would also be retiring from Congress.

Her stunning announcement came shortly after Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a fellow ally of President Trump, jumped into the primary.

“While spending precious time with my family this Christmas season, I have made the decision to suspend my campaign for Governor and will not seek re-election to Congress. I did not come to this decision lightly for our family,” she wrote in a post on social platform X.

“However, as we have seen in past elections, 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,” she added.

Stefanik’s announcement, which came just as the Justice Department released files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, took political observers by surprise. She was long seen as the likely front-runner in the GOP primary, having built a reputation in Congress as one of Trump’s fiercest defenders.

Stefanik made clear in her announcement that she would also be forgoing a run for her seat in New York’s 21st Congressional District. Her decision likely clears the way for Blakeman to receive the GOP nomination, avoiding creating an unnecessarily messy primary between the two Republicans as the GOP looks to defeat New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) next year.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who once worked for the congresswoman, lauded her former boss in a statement on X.

“Elise Stefanik has been an incredible advocate for the people of her district in Upstate New York, and she will always be a true friend to President Trump,” Leavitt wrote. “On a personal note, Elise is my former boss. She is a great leader, and an even better person. We love you, @EliseStefanik!”

Meanwhile, Hochul campaign spokesman Ryan Radulovacki suggested in a statement that Stefanik had merely read the writing on the wall about her candidacy.

“Elise Stefanik has finally acknowledged reality: If you run against Governor Kathy Hochul, you are going to lose,” he said.

Stefanik has long been seen as a rising star within the party, at one point serving as the House Republican Conference chair. Her combative questioning with university presidents over antisemitism during a House hearing went viral on social media, prompting Democrats and Republicans alike to criticize the responses from the college professors and urge them to be fired or resigned.

Trump initially tapped her to be his ambassador to the United Nations, but the White House later withdrew her nomination amid concerns that her confirmation could complicate the already narrow House GOP majority’s ability to pass key parts of its agenda.

Stefanik last month formally launched a bid against Hochul, while Blakeman jumped into the race earlier this month. Trump declined to make an endorsement, lauding both of them.

A Siena College Poll released this week showed Hochul leading Stefanik by 19 points in a hypothetical head-to-head, while the governor holds a 25-point lead over Blakeman.

Republicans quickly coalesced behind Blakeman after Stefanik’s announcement that she was dropping out.

“Elise Stefanik will remain a leader in our party and a powerful voice for our principles. We respect her decision and thank her for her efforts,” New York GOP chair Ed Cox said in a statement.

“Bruce Blakeman has my endorsement and I urge our State Committee and party leaders to join me. Bruce is a fighter who has proven he knows how to win in difficult political terrain,” he added.

Radulovacki of Hochul’s campaign suggested that the governor was ready for whomever she raced, saying “Governor Hochul’s message to him or whichever lackey Trump picks to run against her is simple: Bring it on.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5657570-elise-stefanik-suspends-governor-bid/