UN ambassador nominee Elise Stefanik and President Trump at a New York event. (Getty Images)
Some people are blaming Stefanik herself for not stepping in earlier, with one of the two sources telling Fox News Digital, "Elise has been saying [they] need to wait for Trump, and it's allowed the process to grow out of control."
But that source also said they "don't think it's fair" to fully blame Stefanik, arguing that it was a failure of Republican Party leaders in general for letting the divisions "fester."
"Nature abhors a vacuum. And you have 15 different county chairs, basically like three different regions of the state, pushing their own person. It's a really messy, ugly process," the source said. "When you have a party leader making a decision versus a primary where you can run a race – it's the kind of thing you have to wrap up quickly."
The second source, however, said of the situation in New York's 21st Congressional District, "She let that happen."
House Speaker Mike Johnson at a House Republicans Conference meeting on Capitol Hill on Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
New York state special elections are not open primaries. Instead, both the Republican and Democratic candidates are chosen by the district's 15 county party chairs.
Meanwhile, Republicans have also been concerned that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul could seek to slow-walk the election, leaving Stefanik's seat open for as long as possible if she ascended to the Trump administration.
Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for Stefanik for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tension-over-upstate-new-york-race-helps-put-elise-stefanik-trump-role-jeopardy