Unexpectedly, Republican Elise Stefanik announced that she would be dropping out of the New York gubernatorial race and retiring from Congress.

The surprising move by the woman who was once the youngest person elected to Congress comes after that Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County executive and ally of President Donald Trump, joined the Republican primaries.

Through a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, the 41-year-old representative expressed her desire to spend more time with her family and therefore prefers to give another member of her party the opportunity to run.

“While I spend precious time with my family this Christmas, I have decided to suspend my campaign for governor and will not seek reelection to Congress. I did not make this decision lightly for our family.

I believe that being a mother is the greatest gift and the greatest responsibility in life. I have reflected deeply on this and know that, as a mother, I will deeply regret it if I do not focus more on the safety, growth, and happiness of my young son, especially at his tender age,” she wrote.

Stefanik's reputation, built in Congress, and the fact that she has the support of the current president of the nation... She was considered a likely favorite in the Republican primaries, so her decision not to continue her campaign shook conservatives. In fact, Trump had nominated her as ambassador to the United Nations, but upon realizing the impact her withdrawal would have on the small Republican minority in Congress, he reversed his decision days later. By withdrawing her candidacy, Elise Stefanik avoids Republican primaries that might send a message of conservative division in a process where the goal is to defeat Democrat Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York, next year. From the White House,Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised the decision of her former boss. “Elise Stefanik has been an incredible advocate for the people of her district in upstate New York and will always be a true friend of President Trump. She is my former boss. She is a great leader and an even better person,” she wrote on the X platform.