President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman as the Republican contender for New York governor.
This endorsement came swiftly after Rep. Elise Stefanik announced her withdrawal from the race, a decision she made public on Friday. Stefanik cited her desire to prioritize her family and avoid a potentially divisive primary battle with Blakeman as reasons for her exit. Until this development, Trump had withheld his endorsement, despite Stefanik's strong lead in the polls.
According to WND, Trump took to Truth Social to express his support for Blakeman, stating, Bruce is MAGA all the way, and has been with me from the very beginning.
He further praised Blakeman as a "FANTASTIC guy" and assured his followers that Blakeman "will win the big November Election and, without hesitation, has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Governor of the ONCE GREAT STATE OF NEW YORK (IT CAN BE GREAT AGAIN!). BRUCE BLAKEMAN WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!
Stefanik had initiated her campaign in 2025, aiming to challenge the Democratic incumbent, Governor Kathy Hochul. Meanwhile, Blakeman, who secured his position as Nassau County executive in 2021 by defeating a Democratic opponent, officially entered the gubernatorial race on December 9.
A Siena College poll released earlier in the week showed Stefanik leading Blakeman by over 30 points in a hypothetical Republican primary. Her campaign had also garnered the support of more than 75% of county GOP chairs across the state, positioning her as the presumptive nominee before her decision to suspend her campaign.
The absence of Trump's endorsement for Stefanik during her candidacy raised eyebrows among Republicans, especially given her history of allegiance to the President. In her statement, Stefanik expressed confidence in her potential primary victory but emphasized the impracticality of engaging in a prolonged primary battle.
She remarked, 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 faced significant challenges in a state that has not elected a Republican governor in over two decades, with registered Democrats outnumbering Republicans by a two-to-one margin. Polls indicated that in a hypothetical general election,
Hochul led Stefanik by 19 points, a narrower margin than her 25-point lead over Blakeman. Blakeman's campaign argues that his recent decisive reelection in Nassau County showcases his potential competitiveness against Hochul on a statewide level.
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