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Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik Drops Out of New York Governor Race

December 23, 2025
Harry Xu

On Friday, Rep. Elise Stefanik announced that she would suspend her New York governor campaign. In the same social media post, Stefanik declared that she would not seek reelection to the House of Representatives. The 41-year-old Republican cited that “it is not an effective use of our time… to spend the first half of next year in an unnecessary and protracted Republican primary” and that she aimed to spend more time with her 4-year-old son. The surprising statement came just one month after Stefanik announced her bid as governor.

Who is Rep. Elise Stefanik?

Elected in 2014 to the House of Representatives, Stefanik was the youngest woman at the time to serve in Congress. She currently represents New York’s 21st congressional district, located in the northeast of the state. In the past decade, she has worked to support those in the military—her district is home to many veterans—and has championed efforts to increase healthcare in her rural district.

Since her first position, Stefanik has rapidly ascended the ranks of government. In 2021, she was elected to become the chair of the House Republican Conference. Last year, she was chosen by Trump to be the US Ambassador to the United Nations. However, the nomination was withdrawn due to Trump’s worry that without her, the Republicans could not maintain their slim majority in the House.

Stefanik and Trump

When she first entered Congress, Stefanik was seen as a moderate; however, in recent years, she has realigned her beliefs towards President Trump. When he was first impeached, she vehemently defended him. Additionally, she was one of the 147 Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 election results.

Stefanik is currently facing competition in the Republican primary for New York governor. Her main challenger is 70-year-old Bruce Blakeman, another Trump ally, who is serving as a county executive in Nassau County.

Despite her numerous actions supporting Trump, he has blatantly avoided giving her a crucial endorsement. When asked about the primary, he said that “[t]hese are two great people running. In a way, I hate to see them running against each other.”

On Thursday, Stefanik was reported to speak with Trump to discuss her decision to drop out of the race. Following her announcement, he publicly supported it, describing her as “a fantastic person.”

Division in the Republican Party

Stefanik currently has numerous supporters. Having raised over $12 million for her campaign, some have estimated she would win 75% of the vote in the Republican primary. However, Blakeman’s challenge may lead to division in the GOP and a waste of fundraising efforts.

New York has been established as a Democratic state—the last Republican governor left office in 2007. Due to this, a Republican candidate with near-unanimous support from the party may pose a challenge to incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who currently has a formidable lead in the race.

Impact of Stefanik’s Announcement

Stefanik is effectively clearing the way for Blakeman to sweep the Republican primary. In a difficult state for Republicans to win, they will need all the unity they can muster to oppose Hochul in the governor's race.

However, it may be disappointing for Stefanik to see Trump’s refusal to endorse her after her unwavering support for him. If he had endorsed her earlier, Stefanik may have faced less competition and emerged as the clear Republican candidate. In a way, Trump’s refusal to take sides may have increased division in the party.

After serving her district for more than a decade, Stefanik is now leaving it with a new representative. Right now, over 10% of Congress members will not maintain their positions after the 2026 elections, an unusually high percentage. Out of the retiring members, Stefanik is one of the youngest. Now, it is unclear how she will continue her political career, if at all.

Stefanik’s announcement may reflect her decision to choose unity—to unite the Republican Party, and to unite her family. It is not easy to drop out of an important race, yet passing the torch to others may be what is needed in the end.