House Republicans elected New York Rep. Elise Stefanik to a second term as conference chair Tuesday, according to a press release from her office.
Stefanik defeated Florida Rep. Byron Donalds for the position after placing a bid for the post in September on the condition that Republicans take the House in the midterm elections. Stefanik’s bid was backed by GOP leadership, with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise and National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chair Tom Emmer all opting to support her decision to run. (RELATED: Kevin McCarthy Wins GOP Nomination For Speaker Of The House, Will Need More Support Ahead Of January)
“As the House Republican Conference Chair, I will continue to Work to; keep our message disciplined, unified and on offense every single day, support our agenda, execute an effective rapid response strategy to push back on the biased mainstream media in real-time, elevate all voices of our Conference to highlight the extraordinary background and talents of every member in order to communicate, legislate, and WIN!” Stefanik said in the release.
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) November 15, 2022
“It took Stefanik less than one hour to lock down the votes of the entire leadership team and 2/3 of the entire conference. And she hasn’t even hit the floor yet,” A Republican source told the Daily Caller in September.
After announcing her bid, Stefanik expressed her intent to spend the next 56 days “laser-focused” on winning the House Majority. Stefanik, who held the role last year after Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was voted out, will hold the fourth-ranking post in the conference.
Despite the idea of a “red wave” and Stefanik’s intent to see it through, the House race was far closer than pre-election projections, as most pollsters predicted Republicans would take between 225 and 255 seats. Though final results were below initial predictions, Republicans picked up key seats in Florida, taking 20 of 28 House districts, and flipped four traditionally blue Democrat seats in New York, taking 11 of the 26 seats.
As chair, Stefanik has raised over $10 million for candidates and committees, according to a September press release. A close supporter of former President Donald Trump, Stefanik endorsed Trump ahead of his 2024 campaign announcement Tuesday, according to The Hill.
