GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik drops out of New York governor’s race

Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik said Friday that she is ending her campaign for governor of New York and will not seek re-election to her House seat next year.

In a lengthy message published in X, Stefanik, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, wrote that she “did not make this decision lightly for our family.”

“As we have seen in previous elections, even if we would have won this primary overwhelmingly, it is not an effective use of our time or your generous resources to devote the first half of next year to an unnecessary and prolonged Republican primary, especially in a tough state like New York. And while many know me as a Congressman, my most important title is that of Mom,” Stefanik said.