Stefanik exits New York governor race, resigns from Congress as Trump endorsement never materialized

Rep. Elise Stefanik announced Friday night that she will not pursue the race for New York governor and will not seek re-election to the U.S. House, saying it would be impractical to spend the first half of next year in a protracted Republican primary in a challenging state.

A GOP source familiar with the discussions told Fox News Digital that the decision was driven in part by President Donald Trump not endorsing her candidacy, despite conversations that included an Oval Office meeting and a moment linked to the Miracle on Ice team last week. The source described the lack of a Trump endorsement as the largest factor shaping the decision.

Stefanik's entry into the governor's race last month had been framed by allies as offering a straightforward path to unseating Hochul, but the dynamic shifted after Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced his candidacy earlier this month, creating a contested primary and dampening expectations for a quick win.

A source said that with Blakeman in the race and Trump not endorsing, there was no clear wind at her back this cycle. The decision to bow out, the source added, was about timing and resource allocation as much as about the race itself.

Stefanik's decision to leave the House was framed as moving on. In a post on X, she thanked supporters and noted that, although the campaign would likely have prevailed in a standard primary, continuing to fight for money and time in a long, high-stakes contest would not be the best use of resources.

Stefanik has been a close ally of Trump for years, defending him during both impeachments and having been nominated to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations before the nomination was pulled to protect the GOP's razor-thin House majority amid fears of a Democratic pickup in a special election.

After Blakeman entered the governor's race, Trump said he would stay neutral, telling reporters that Stefanik and Blakeman are both fantastic people and that he hoped there would not be damaging blows between two friends.

Hochul's campaign seized on the development, arguing that Stefanik's withdrawal underscored the difficulty of mounting a statewide bid in a divided party and pointing to Hochul's record on tax relief and public safety as she prepared for a general election contest.

The Fox News Digital report noted that several Republican county leaders have reached out to Rep. Mike Lawler as a potential candidate, though it remains premature to conclude the GOP will coalesce around Blakeman. The source described the field as very fluid, with many in the party regrouping as they assess options. The report also referenced the Mamdani effect as Hochul prepares for the general election.

Trump supporters and aides circulated praise for Stefanik after the announcement, including a Truth Social post by the former president calling her a tremendous talent and promising support in whatever capacity she chooses. White House officials referred reporters to social-media reactions from the president and his aides.

As New York's 2026 political calendar takes shape, observers say the race remains highly unsettled, with several potential candidates weighing bids and the party seeking a path to victory in a state that has trended blue in statewide races. Stefanik's exit concludes a controversial chapter in her political career and shifts the balance of how Republicans approach New York's electoral landscape.