Rep. Alice Stefanik ended her campaign for New York governor and will not seek re-election to the House

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

Stefanik, an aide to President Donald Trump, said in a statement that she is confident of her chances in the Republican primary for governor against County Executive Bruce Blakeman in suburban New York City. But she says being on the run “isn’t an efficient use of our time,” and she 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 deeply regret it if I do not focus on the safety, growth and happiness of my young son – especially at his tender age,” she said.

Stefanik was set for a tight race against Blakeman, with both politicians counting themselves as Trump allies and trying to court his support. However, the president seemed keen to avoid taking sides in the race, recently telling reporters: “He’s great, and she’s great. They’re both great people.”

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

“Alice is a great talent, no matter what she does. She’s going to be a huge success, and I’m with her!” Trump wrote.

Stefanik, who represents a conservative congressional district in upstate New York, has been a vocal critic of incumbent Democratic Gov. Cathy Hochul, who is seeking re-election but faces a primary challenge from her own Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado.

After Stefanik’s exit, Hochul’s campaign spokesman said, “If you run against Governor Cathy Hochul, you’re going to lose.”

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

First seen as a liberal when he arrived in Washington, Stefanik became more conservative as Trump came to dominate the party. Once someone who refused to say Trump’s name, she became his top defender during his first impeachment investigation. Even after violent mobs stormed the Capitol on January 6, she would go on to vote against certifying the 2020 election results.

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

Stefanik’s decision follows a spat with Speaker Mike Johnson, whom he 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 she would not be re-elected speaker if the vote were held today.

The early December episode appeared calmer when Johnson said he and Stefanik had a “great conversation.”

“I called him and I said, ‘You know, why didn’t you come to me?'” Johnson said. “So we had some intense fellowship about that.”

Still, Stefanik, the chairwoman of the House Republican leadership, hasn’t fully retracted her criticism. A Dec. 2 social media post remains online in which, after a provision she championed was removed from the defense authorization bill, Stefanik accused Johnson of claiming she was unaware of what she called “more lies from the speaker.”

Long Island’s Nassau County Executive Blakeman released a statement Friday night thanking Stefanik “for his outstanding service to the people of New York and to all Americans.”

“I look forward to working hand-in-hand with Congresswomen and all New Yorkers to restore accountability, affordability and security to state government,” he said.

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