Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) announced on Friday, December 19, 2025, that she is withdrawing from the 2026 New York gubernatorial race and will not seek re-election to her U.S. House seat.
In a statement posted on X, Stefanik wrote: “While spending precious time with my family this Christmas season, I have made the decision to suspend my campaign for Governor and will not seek re-election to Congress. I did not come to this decision lightly for our family.”
The announcement follows recent polling that showed Stefanik in a statistical tie with incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY). The entry of Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman (R) into the GOP gubernatorial primary has complicated matters for Stefanik, who noted: “However, as we have seen in past elections, while we would have overwhelmingly won this primary, 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 clarified that with Blakeman’s candidacy, she would require significant resources to secure the party nomination and prevent potential surprises from his “quixotic” campaign. The decision to step aside has left her out of the race for governor while maintaining her seat in Congress.
