Two MAGA Women Stop Within Minutes of Each Other

MAGA women are fleeing DC in droves.

New York congresswoman and MAGA darling Elise Stefanik shocked the political world on Friday when she announced she was retiring from politics. Less than 30 minutes earlier, Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis had done the same thing.

Stefanik’s announcement is easily the more surprising of the two. The 41-year-old congresswoman was a rising star in MAGA circles and was considered a lock to win the June 2026 GOP primary in the New York governor’s race.

“While I spend precious time with my family this Christmas season, I have made the decision to suspend my campaign for Governor and will not seek re-election to Congress,” X wrote in a lengthy post.

Stefanik indicated that she was getting out of politics to spend more time with her 4-year-old son, Sam.

“While many know me as Congresswoman, my most important title is Mother,” she said. “I believe that being a parent is life’s greatest gift and greatest responsibility. I have thought deeply about this and know that as a mother, I would feel deep regret if I did not focus more on the safety, growth, and happiness of my young son—particularly at his tender age.”

Stefanik has represented New York’s 21st district, covering the heavily Republican state area, since 2015.

Although initially elected as a moderate Republican, she swung sharply to the right during her time in Congress and became one of Trump’s staunchest supporters.

She was endorsed by Trump in 2021 to replace Liz Cheney as Chair of the House Republican Conference. She held the post until January 2025, when Trump nominated her to become the United States ambassador to the United Nations. In March, Trump withdrew his nomination, saying he needed it in the House of Representatives, where Republicans held a slim majority.

In November, Stefanik announced she would run for governor of New York, bidding to unseat Democrat Kathy Hochul. According to a December poll in Siena, she held a large lead over the other Republican in the race, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, but trailed Hochul by 19 points in a potential runoff.

Stefanik’s announcement comes three days after that poll was released.

Trump, 79, mourned the loss of one of his champions on Truth Social.

“Elise is a tremendous talent, no matter what she does. She is going to be a HUGE success, and I’m with her all the way!” wrote the president.

In contrast, Lummis’ retirement is hardly as stunning as Stefanik’s—and it didn’t even earn the president a Social Truth fling.

Lummis, 71 years old, said in her announcement post that she decided not to seek re-election because she felt she didn’t have “six more years” in her. She will have served one term in the Senate when her seat comes up for election in 2026. Prior to her time as a Senator, she served from 2009 to 2017 in the United States House of Representatives.

Once a free speech absolutist, Lummis changed her tune after Charlie Kirk’s death and after Jimmy Kimmel was fired from the air for his comment that MAGA was desperate to portray Kirk’s assassin, Tyler Robinson, as un-MAGA.

Lummis didn’t even have half an hour in the spotlight before Stefanik dumped her.

Stefanik and Lummis are two more Republicans who will be leaving Congress following the shocking resignation of longtime MAGA loyalist-turned-foe Marjorie Taylor Greene. In the weeks following Greene’s announcement, an anonymous senior GOP lawmaker warned that more surprising departures would follow.

“More explosive early resignations are coming,” the lawmaker said in November. “It’s a cakewalk. Morale has never been lower. Mike Johnson will be stripped of his gavel, and they will lose the majority before this term is over.”