But in a statement posted to X, Stefanik said she was stepping aside to avoid what she called a “costly and unnecessary” primary fight and to spend more time with her young family.
“While spending precious time with my family this Christmas season, I have made the decision to suspend my campaign for Governor and will not seek re-election to Congress,” Stefanik wrote. “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.”
