Republicans are hoping to avoid a primary in the New York governor's race and want President Donald Trump to step in.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman have both entered the race.
Both candidates have been vocal about their support of Trump, and the president has spoken highly of each of them.
"A primary doesn't help us at all, but I think at the end of the day, the president is going to have to weigh in," said Republican Assemblymember and Stefanik endorser Josh Jensen to Politico.
"A lot of Republican voters are going to be very interested in what he has to say," Jensen said.
Trump spoke with Blakeman before he entered the race, The New York Times and New York magazine reported.
Even though Stefanik is seen as the favorite and racked up endorsements upon entering the race, Trump did not tell Blakeman to forgo running, Politico reported.
"I hope there's not a lot of damage done," Trump told reporters about the race.
"Sometimes, it works the other way, the victor ends up being much stronger," Trump added.
On Friday, Trump said Stefanik had a strong shot at winning the primary but that she had "a little competition with a very good Republican."
Republicans have not won a statewide race in New York since 2002 but came close to defeating Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2022, and her poll numbers have lagged.
The dynamic also underscores the sheer power Trump wields even over long shot races in a Democrat-dominated state like New York.
In a closed primary state like New York, Republicans are concerned the winning candidate would have to shift too far to the right to win, potentially alienating voters in a state where Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans.
Stefanik has attacked Hochul as "the worst governor in America," while Blakeman has touted his record running Nassau County.
Stefanik has also tied Hochul to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, calling Mamdani a "jihadist," which Trump publicly disagreed with.
State Party Chair Ed Cox is looking to avoid a primary and see Stefanik win enough support at the state convention to crowd out Blakeman, Politico reported.
Stefanik's team has asserted she has locked up roughly 77% of the weighted vote to deny Blakeman automatic ballot status in the June primary, according to Politico. If Blakeman fails to reach a 25% threshold at the state convention, he would have to petition his way onto a ballot.
His campaign declined to say to Politico if he would go that route if necessary, but others are hoping to avoid a primary they deem to be "a waste of time and money."
"It's just crazy to come in at this point," Chris Tague, a state lawmaker, told Politico.
"We can't afford any distractions. As bad as a governor as Kathy Hochul is, as Republicans, we can have no distractions," Tague added.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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