Trump said Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman ‘is MAGA all the way, and has been with me from the very beginning.’
President Donald Trump on Dec. 20 threw his endorsement behind the new Republican candidate in the New York governor’s race after the withdrawal of ally Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.).
“Bruce is MAGA all the way, and has been with me from the very beginning,” Trump said in a post announcing the endorsement on his Truth Social platform.
The new candidate, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, announced his gubernatorial bid on Dec. 9, drawing criticism from existing GOP candidate Stefanik, who launched her campaign on Nov. 7. Trump had not endorsed Stefanik for governor.
“Elise has led the most effective attacks on the Worst Governor in America Kathy Hochul as Bruce Blakeman has worked overtime to torpedo fellow Republicans,” Stefanik campaign spokesperson Bernadette Breslin said in a statement at the time.
On Dec. 19, Stefanik announced that she was withdrawing from the race and retiring from Congress at the end of her term.
She said it would be a waste of GOP resources for two candidates to compete in a New York primary.
“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 said in a post on X.
Democrats have been elected to the New York governor’s office since 2006 and currently have large majorities in both houses of the state legislature.
Stefanik also listed her role as the mother of a 4-year-old son as one of the factors behind her decision to step away from politics altogether.
“I know that 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,” she said while thanking her constituents.
“It has been a tremendous professional honor to serve as your Congresswoman over the past eleven years. Thank you for your support and encouragement as my family and I look forward to the next meaningful personal and professional chapter. God Bless and Merry Christmas.”
Trump’s endorsement of Blakeman may or may not help the candidate ward off further competitors in the GOP primary, which will define the race in November 2026.
The Democratic primary currently has two candidates: incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul and her lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado.
By Melanie Sun
