Trump Endorses Blakeman For New York Governor After Stefanik Exits Race

President Donald Trump threw his support behind Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in the New York gubernatorial contest, issuing the endorsement one day after Rep. Elise Stefanik ended her campaign.

“Bruce is MAGA all the way, and has been with me from the very beginning,” Trump wrote Saturday in a post on Truth Social. “Bruce Blakeman is a FANTASTIC guy, 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 long been viewed as the leading Republican contender to challenge Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2026, particularly after Trump earlier encouraged Rep. Mike Lawler to seek reelection to his closely contested House seat rather than pursue the governor’s race.

Blakeman’s entry into the race earlier this month reshaped the Republican field and complicated Stefanik’s path, even as Trump publicly described both candidates as “fantastic people.”

Despite the endorsement, Hochul continues to hold a double-digit advantage over Blakeman in a hypothetical matchup, according to a Siena College poll of New York voters released earlier this week.

Stefanik, once a powerful figure in the House GOP conference, has endured a turbulent year after Trump withdrew her nomination to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, citing concerns about preserving the party’s narrow House majority.

Trump ultimately declined to back the upstate New York congresswoman for governor, and in her announcement withdrawing from the race, Stefanik also said she would not seek reelection to Congress.

Blakeman attended a Chanukah reception at the White House with the president earlier this week, underscoring his growing proximity to Trump.

Responding to the endorsement in a post on X, Blakeman said he was “grateful and blessed” to have the president’s support.