President endorses Nassau County leader for New York governor one day after Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., withdrew from the 2026 gubernatorial campaign.
President Donald Trump endorsed Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman for governor of New York on Saturday, throwing his support behind the Long Island Republican one day after Rep. Elise Stefanik withdrew from the race.
Trump announced the endorsement in a lengthy post on Truth Social, calling Blakeman „highly respected and very popular“ and praising his record on immigration enforcement, public safety and economic issues.
„Highly Respected and very popular Nassau County Executive, Bruce Blakeman, is running to be the next Governor of New York“, Trump wrote.
The endorsement follows Fox News Digital exclusive reporting that Stefanik’s surprise decision not to run was driven in part by concerns over Trump’s lack of a clear commitment to backing her in the New York governor’s race, according to sources.
„Bruce is MAGA all the way, and has been with me from the very beginning“, Trump added.
In his post, Trump praised Blakeman’s work with federal immigration authorities and local law enforcement, framing the race around border security and crime, issues Republicans have emphasized in historically blue states.
