North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik made a sudden announcement on Friday afternoon that she was suspending her campaign for New York governor and would not seek reelection to her NY-21 Congressional seat.

The surprising decision came a week and a half after Long Island Republican Bruce Blakeman announced he was entering the race, which would have set up a primary between him and Stefanik. She believes she would have won the primary “overwhelmingly” but decided it was the wrong time to run.

“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,” she wrote.

She’ll be in office until in early 2027.

Stefanik said she made the decision after spending “precious time” with her family over the Christmas season.

“I did not come to this decision lightly for our family,” she said in a statement on X.

Stefanik shed more light on her decision in an interview with the Albany Times Union, saying she assumed there would be no primary in this race, that she’s faced threats to her family’s safety and that she didn’t want to end up like some of her colleagues who serve for decades in Congress, even well past retirement age.

Stefanik herself had entered the gubernatorial race a little more than a month ago, preparing to duke it out with incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul, whom she labeled as “the worst governor in America.”

Stefanik began hinting at a gubernatorial run shortly after her nomination to become President Donald Trump’s United Nations ambassador was suddenly pulled by the White House in March, as Trump said he didn’t want to take a chance on anyone else running for her seat, with a slim Republican majority in the House.

Her seat is up for grabs now next November, with two Republicans, four Democrats and one independent candidates currently running.

“While many know me as Congresswoman, my most important title is Mom,” Stefanik said in her statement. “I have thought deeply about this and 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.”

Her son is 4 years old.

Stefanik said she was “truly humbled” by the support of her constituents, thankful for her “dedicated staff” and proud of her results.

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History

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Stefanik was first elected to NY-21 in 2014 and has served 11 years as the district’s representative in the House, being elected six times.

She initially was positioned as a moderate and bipartisan congressmember. Over the years, she became more loyal to her party and, more specifically, to Trump’s Make America Great Again agenda.

Last week, at a bill-signing photo op at the Oval Office with the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” Olympic hockey team, Trump called Blakeman “a very good Republican” and Stefanik a “great Republican.”

She voted twice against attempts to impeach Trump — for incitement of insurrection after Jan. 6, 2021 and for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after a House inquiry reported that Trump had withheld military aid from Ukraine for an alleged quid pro quo in his 2020 campaign.

Her speeches in these impeachments brought national attention to her rural district. So did her appointment as House Republican Conference chair.

She again made national news during a 2023 hearing on antisemitism where she grilled the presidents of colleges Harvard, MIT and University of Pennsylvania. Her book on this, “Poisoned Ivies,” is expected to release next year. Stefanik has long been a fiercely pro-Israel member of Congress.

She’s always served on numerous military, defense and intelligence committees in the House.

Recently, Stefanik was the deciding vote on the One Big Beautiful Bill.

Stefanik had amassed a political war chest of more than $10 million, according to the Federal Election Commission — as much as $13 million now, according to her campaign.

Polling between Stefanik and Hochul had flip-flopped through the summer and the fall, with one being favored in the polls, and then the other.

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NY-21 candidates

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Republican state Assemblyman Robert Smullen entered the race a few weeks ago.

Republican Anthony Constantino, who was on the list for the GOP chairs’ pick in the cancelled special election, is self-funding his campaign.

Lake Placid businessowner Stuart Amoriell is running for the House seat on the Democratic line.

Blake Gendebien, a dairy farmer in Lisbon who was selected by Democratic county chairs to run for the seat in the spring when it appeared Stefanik was going to be appointed Trump’s United Nations ambassador, is also running.

Democrat Dylan Hewitt of Glens Falls, who previously served as a White House Trade Official, has also entered the race

Maylon Haller, a Democratic Socialist from Amsterdam is running on the Democratic line. He’s also faced off against Nick Langworthy in NY-23.

Independent Christopher Schmidt is running on an independent line.