Rep. Elise Stefanik ends her campaign for New York governor and won't seek reelection to House

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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Rep. Elise Stefanik announced Friday that she is suspending her campaign for New York governor and will not seek reelection to Congress, abruptly bowing out of what was expected to be a bruising Republican primary and ending a once-promising tenure in the House.

Stefanik, an ally of President Donald Trump, said in a statement that she was confident of her chances in the Republican primary for governor against Bruce Blakeman, a county official in New York City’s suburbs. But she said, “It is not an effective use of our time” to stay in the race, and that she instead wants to spend more time with her young son and family.

“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,” she said.

Stefanik was set to have a tough race against Blakeman, with both politicians counting themselves as allies of Trump and attempting to court his support. Though, the president had seemed keen on avoiding picking a side in the race, telling reporters recently: “He’s great, and she’s great. They’re both great people.”

On Friday, Trump, writing on his Truth Social media platform, called Stefanik a “fantastic person and congresswoman.”

“Elise is a tremendous talent, regardless of what she does. She will have GREAT success, and I am with her all the way!” Trump wrote.

Stefanik, who represents a conservative congressional district in northern New York, has been an intense critic of incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is also seeking reelection but faces a primary challenge from her own lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado.

Following Stefanik's exit, Hochul's campaign spokesperson said, “If you run against Governor Kathy Hochul, you are going to lose."

Stefanik was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress when she won her first campaign in 2014 at just 30 years old, representing a new generation of Republicans making inroads in Washington. She ultimately rose to her party’s leadership in the House when she became the chair of the House Republican Conference in 2021.

First viewed as a moderate when she came to Washington, Stefanik became far more conservative as Trump began to dominate the party. Once someone who refused to say Trump’s name, she became one of his top defenders during his first impeachment inquiry. She would go on to vote against certifying the 2020 election results, even after a violent mob stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Last year, Stefanik was tapped to become the president’s ambassador to the United Nations, though her nomination was later pulled over concerns about her party’s narrow margins in the House. She then began to angle toward a run for governor.

Stefanik’s decision follows a clash with Speaker Mike Johnson, whom she accused of lying before embarking on a series of media interviews criticizing him. In one with The Wall Street Journal, she called Johnson a “political novice” and said he wouldn’t be reelected speaker if the vote were held today.

The tumultuous early December episode appeared to cool when Johnson said he and Stefanik had a “great talk.”

“I called her and I said, ‘Why wouldn’t you just come to me, you know?’” Johnson said. “So we had some intense fellowship about that.”

Still, Stefanik, the chairwoman of the House Republican leadership, has not fully walked back her criticisms. A Dec. 2 social media post remains online in which, after a provision she championed was omitted from a defense authorization bill, Stefanik accused Johnson of falsely claiming he was unaware of it, calling it “more lies from the Speaker.”

Blakeman, the executive of Nassau County on Long Island, released a statement Friday night that thanked Stefanik “for her outstanding service to the people of New York and to all Americans.”

“I am ready to work hand-in-hand with the Congresswoman and all New Yorkers to restore accountability, affordability, and safety to state government,” he said.

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Associated Press writers Steven Sloan and Joey Cappelletti contributed from Washington.