Blakeman rips ‘selfish’ Stefanik after losing New York governor’s race

Republican Bruce Blakeman ripped outgoing Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) in a Thursday social media post following his loss in the New York governor’s race to incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul (D).

“Elise Stefanik is a selfish, do nothing politician that didn’t lift a finger to help Republican candidates in New York this year,” Blakeman wrote in a Thursday afternoon post to the social platform X.

He continued, “She had one moment of glory in what was otherwise an unremarkable career.”

Stefanik responded on social media , writing, “I voted for Bruce and straight Republican ticket and have worked for decades helping Republicans across the state and country including him.”

She cited her work for the GOP over the past decade, saying she helped to “raise over 100M to help boost Republicans up and down the ticket across the country and the state.”

“We will need everyone to be a constructive part of the effort to rebuild Republican support as we learn from this historic loss,” Stefanik concluded.

The comments came after the New York Post published an exclusive interview with Stefanik on Wednesday, in which she called Blakeman a “low-energy” candidate — adding she thinks New York’s Republican Party is “broken” and “needs to be built from scratch.”

In a separate Election Day appearance on CBS News , the House lawmaker said the results of the election were a “Republican reckoning and a Republican reset.”

Stefanik previously sought to challenge Hochul for the New York governorship but dropped her gubernatorial bid in December, paving the way for Blakeman — the Nassau County executive — to clinch the Republican nomination. She also said she would not seek reelection in the House.

The congresswoman said at the time the decision to drop out of the race did not come lightly, but she ultimately made the move to avoid an “unnecessary and protracted Republican primary, especially in a challenging state like New York.”

The outgoing lawmaker was long seen as a rising star in the Republican Party and rose to be one of President Trump’s fiercest defenders before her exit to the private sector.

Republicans were quick to coalesce around Blakeman, but it was not enough to secure him the governor’s mansion. As of Wednesday night, with 93 percent of the vote counted, Hochul was ahead of the county executive by nearly 20 points , according to The Hill’s nonpartisan election forecasting partner, Decision Desk HQ.

The Empire State GOP was able to hold on to some House seats, including Stefanik’s 21st Congressional District — which New York Republican Anthony Constantino won for his party .

Constantino, one of Trump’s endorsees, campaigned on eliminating government waste, lowering utility pricing, securing the country’s northern border and growing New York’s Republican Party, according to his campaign website .