Tension over upstate New York race helps put Elise Stefanik Trump role in jeopardy

The nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations appears to be in trouble, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.

Stefanik is under pressure to take herself out of contention for the role despite appearing poised to sail through Senate confirmation with bipartisan support, CBS News first reported. 

Sources told the outlet that House Republicans' razor-thin majority is a major factor in the current considerations, but Fox News Digital was also told that internal politics in Stefanik's home district are at play as well.

New York state's primary structure and the lack of GOP cohesion over choosing a candidate to run in Stefanik's place have led to concerns about a future special election there, two sources familiar with Empire State politics said.

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."

The second source said Stefanik "didn't want to lean in on someone," which resulted in no one having "a clear understanding of what the process is and who has a lane."

Both sources pointed to concerns about a conservative candidate who is threatening to run in a third-party lane if he fails to win the Republican primary.

Meanwhile, the candidate who was endorsed by the New York Conservative Party "never supported Trump," the first source said.

It's not out of the realm of possibility for two right-wing candidates to split their base enough for a Democrat to prevail, though it's a longshot in Stefanik's heavily Republican, upstate New York district.

Still, Republicans in Washington can afford few missteps with a thin majority and a candidate in Florida, Randy Fine, being outraised by his Democratic challenger ahead of an April 1 special election for another GOP-favored seat.

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.