Trump endorses Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman for New York governor as Stefanik suspends bid

President Donald Trump endorsed Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman for New York governor on Saturday, hours after Rep. Elise Stefanik suspended her gubernatorial bid and said she would not seek reelection to Congress. The endorsement appeared in a post on Truth Social, with Trump saying, "Bruce is MAGA all the way, and has been with me from the very beginning." The move cements Blakeman’s standing in a race that could have been competitive and could influence the dynamics of a GOP primary against incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul.

Blakeman’s candidacy had been anticipated as a key test for the GOP in New York. Stefanik’s withdrawal, announced Friday, came as Blakeman formally entered the race, with Stefanik explaining she wanted to avoid an “unnecessary and protracted Republican primary.” The turnaround leaves Blakeman as a leading figure in a field that had been expected to include several candidates vying for the Republican nomination and a potential general-election skirmish with Hochul.

Blakeman, who has led Nassau County since 2021, has promoted a policy to ban transgender athletes from using county sports facilities. He also created a volunteer law enforcement unit and directed county detectives to work with federal authorities in Trump’s immigration crackdown. Critics have labeled the volunteer squad as a militia-like force, though Blakeman has framed the effort as part of broader public-safety initiatives in the county.

The Hochul campaign seized on Trump’s embrace of Blakeman, arguing the endorsement reveals the former president’s priorities. “Donald Trump endorsed Bruce Blakeman for one reason: he’ll put Trump first, New York last, and leave families to foot the bill,” Hochul campaign communications director Sarafina Chitika said in a statement.

Trump’s comments to reporters on Monday that he would not take sides in the race reflected a period of limited public involvement in Blakeman’s candidacy before the endorsement. He told reporters, “He’s great, and she’s great. They’re both great people.” That stance shifted with the weekend post announcing the endorsement, a move that aligning Blakeman with the former president’s political brand as New York’s gubernatorial contest looms.

Stefanik, long a close ally of Trump and previously nominated to serve as his ambassador to the United Nations (a nomination later withdrawn amid concerns about House Republican margins), said she wanted to avoid dragging the party into a drawn-out primary. Her decision to suspend her bid removes a high-profile opponent from the field and positions Blakeman to consolidate support among Trump-aligned Republicans and conservative voters in the state.

The endorsement comes as the race to replace Hochul remains largely unsettled. Blakeman’s local-policy record and his alignment with Trump’s national approach could shape how primary voters weigh priorities, including immigration enforcement and cultural-issue positions. Hochul and her supporters are likely to frame the endorsement as a test of Trump’s influence over New York voters, while Blakeman supporters argue the backing signals strong conservative credentials and readiness to take on Hochul in a general-election setting.

As the campaign moves forward, observers cautioned that endorsements in state races carry different weights than in national contests. Still, the Trump-Blakeman alignment could help mobilize the GOP base and sway donors and party officials who are weighing the best path to unseat Hochul in the fall.