Stefanik Makes Run for House Republican Conference Chair

SARATOGA — On May 12, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik sent a letter to her Republican colleagues asking for their vote in Stefanik’s bid for House Republican Conference Chair. Republicans voted to remove Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming from that leadership post earlier the same day – the ejection ranked as punishment for repudiating former U.S. President Donald Trump’s false claims of a stolen election, Reuters reported Wednesday. 

Stefanik voted in line with former President Donald Trump’s position 77.7% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight, which tracks how often every member of the House and the Senate votes with or against the president. 

“It is imperative that we not only go on offense against the Socialist Democrats, but we need to be on offense when dealing with the biased mainstream media,” Stefanik wrote in her Letter to Colleagues, as being among her goals as potential Conference Chair. She also noted spotlighting members’ conservative policy solutions and providing a disciplined message to “offensively prosecute the disastrous and destructive Biden and Pelosi agenda.”    

The House Republican Conference chair is the third-ranking House Republican, behind Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and Minority Whip Steve Scalise. By description, the House Republican Conference is the organizational vehicle for all Republican members of the house and their staff, hosts regular meetings of house Republicans and is the primary vehicle for communicating the party’s message to members. The Republican Conference Chairman directs day-to-day operations of the Conference office and staff. 

Stefanik was first elected to the 21st Congressional District in 2014 and has been re-elected to the post in successive terms in 2016, 2018 and 2020. The 21st Congressional District includes a portion of Saratoga.