Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) announced on Friday that she is dropping out of the New York gubernatorial race and will not seek re-election in the House in the 2026 midterms.
The six-term congresswoman from the mostly rural, upstate 21st District cited her obligations to her family and the challenge of running a primary campaign in her decision to withdraw from electoral politics.
“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 stated. “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.”
U.S. President Donald Trump tapped Stefanik to be his ambassador to the United Nations in 2024 after her performance as chair of the House Republican Caucus and in initially facing down presidents from Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania, and later, Columbia University and other schools at high-profile education committee hearings on campus antisemitism.
Trump withdrew her nomination in March, citing the narrow House Republican majority following other resignations from the House to staff the Trump administration, including Mike Waltz, who ultimately took the U.N. posting, and Matt Gaetz, who withdrew from consideration to be attorney general.
“With a very tight majority, I don’t want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise’s seat,” Trump wrote. “The people love Elise and, with her, we have nothing to worry about come Election Day.”
Stefanik said she will no longer run in that election.
“I have made the decision to suspend my campaign for governor and will not seek re-election to Congress,” she said.
Stefanik faced an uphill battle to unseat incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat.
A Sienna College poll released on Wednesday had Hochul beating Stefanik by 19 points in the race to govern the Empire State.
