Trump ally Stefanik drops run for New York governor, will leave Congress

GOP lawmaker who grilled university heads on antisemitism says she wants to focus on raising son; Trump praises congresswoman’s ‘tremendous talent’

New York Rep. Elise Stefanik said on Friday that she is suspending her campaign for New York governor and will not seek re-election to Congress.

Stefanik, a Republican, made the announcement in an email to supporters, saying she made the decision while spending time with her family during the Christmas season.

“While many know me as Congresswoman, my most important title is Mom. 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.”

A short time after Stefanik bowed out, Trump acknowledged Stefanik’s announcement on his Truth Social online platform, writing: “Elise is a tremendous talent, regardless of what she does. She will have GREAT success, and I am with her all the way!”

Stefanik represents the 21st Congressional District spanning upstate New York, and presented herself as a bulwark against antisemitism. She gained national attention earlier this year for grilling the heads of universities over the explosion of campus antisemitism after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre, leading to the resignations of several Ivy League presidents.

She announced her run for governor against Democrat Kathy Hochul in November. Her campaign often focused on Jewish issues, berating Hochul for her endorsement of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.

Earlier this month, Jewish Republican and Trump ally Bruce Blakeman, the chief executive of Long Island’s Nassau County, also announced a run for governor.

Stefanik nodded to the challenge in her statement, saying, “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.”

Stefanik, the youngest woman ever elected to the House in 2014, moved sharply to the right after Trump’s first presidential victory in 2016.

The president nominated her as ambassador to the United Nations at the start of his second term in January 2025, but withdrew her name amid concerns about Republicans’ narrow House majority.

While Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris won New York by a comfortable 12-point margin over Trump in 2024, the state shifted more toward Trump than any other in the nation from 2020 to 2024. But Democrats dominated several high-profile elections in November, including in New York City and nearby New Jersey.

Her district is not seen as competitive in next year’s midterm elections, when Democrats will seek to take control of the House. Incumbent presidents’ parties typically lose House seats in midterm elections.

Hochul, 67, was the state’s lieutenant governor in 2021 when then-Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned amid sexual harassment allegations, elevating her to the governorship. She won a full four-year term in 2022.