Who is Elise Stefanik: Biography, Career, Personal Life and Trump’s Loyalist

New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik has been voted as House Republican Conference chair. Photo CNN

House Republicans on Friday tapped Rep. Elise Stefanik to serve as their No. 3 leader, with the New York congresswoman taking the job that Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming held until two days ago, the Morning Star reported.

“Listen, the Republican Party is a big tent party and my district is the story of the growth of the Republican Party. My district voted for President Obama by double digits and voted for President Trump and myself by double digits — we have worked to grow the Republican Party,” she told reporters following her win.

“Nancy Pelosi has the slimmest majority in a generation. We are going on offense and are going to win back the majority in 2022. This is about being unified, I’m a proud conservative Republican, and I will fight for the Republican conference.”

Trump — who took aim at Roy for getting into the race, signalling he would support a primary against the Texas Republican — congratulated Stefanik on her win shortly after the vote was called.

“Congratulations to Elise Stefanik for her Big and Overwhelming victory! The House GOP is united and the Make America Great Again movement is Strong!” he said in a statement.

Watch her remarks after election to House Republican Conference Chair

Who is Elise Stefanik: Biography

Rep. Elise Stefanik arrives as House GOP members hold an election for a new chair of the House Republican Conference to replace Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who was ousted from the GOP leadership for criticizing former President Donald Trump, at the Capitol in Washington on Friday. Photo AP

Elise Stefanik (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing New York's 21st Congressional District. She assumed office on January 6, 2015. Her current term ends on January 3, 2023.

Stefanik (Republican Party, Conservative Party, Independence Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent New York's 21st Congressional District. She won in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Stefanik was elected to the U.S. House in 2014. At age 30, she was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress at the time.

Prior to her congressional career, Stefanik was an aide to former Pres. George W. Bush and was in charge of debate preparations for Paul Ryan.[3] She also managed sales and marketing for her family’s business, Premium Plywood Products, according to Ballotpedia.

Elise Stefanik: A star from the beginning

Stefanik entered Congress a star in 2015 following a race that brought her national attention due to her age. At 30, she was the youngest woman elected to Congress at the time.

After her election, she told C-SPAN she takes being a female role model "very seriously."

"Parents started bringing their elementary school-aged daughters to events, these were nonpolitical families — Republicans, Democrats, unaffiliated voters — just to show their daughters an example and a role model of what they can achieve," she said.

Stefanik was better connected than most congressional freshmen, with a résumé that included a Harvard University degree, stints in the George W. Bush White House, the 2012 Romney-Ryan campaign and a worldview that aligned neatly with the establishment conservatives of the era.

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Photo CNN

"I'm a Republican because I believe in limited government," she told C-SPAN in 2015. "I think Republican principles help the vast majority of all Americans achieve the American dream and I believe in the Constitution."

It was Ryan who inspired her to run for Congress.

"When the odds were stacked against me 100 to one, Paul encouraged, stood by and supported me," she said at a 2016 Capitol Hill event. "Still, the best piece of advice I have received is from Speaker Ryan, who told me: 'You have two ears and one mouth, use them in that ratio.' "

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Elise Stefanik: Transformation to Trump loyalist

In 2015, 2016 and the early days of his term in office, she criticized Trump on a range of issues from his incendiary comments about Muslims and women to his signature policy positions, such as overhauling NATO, building a US-Mexico border wall and having stronger cooperation with Russia, cited CNN.

When House Democrats moved to impeach Trump for the first time in 2019, however, Stefanik emerged as one of the President's most outspoken defenders, taking on Democrats and earning Trump's praise as "a new Republican star."

Cheney, on the other hand, is known as a more conservative Republican, but she has also become a major Trump critic. She voted to impeach Trump for inciting the January 6 attack on the Capitol and has continued to speak out against his election lies.

Her political conversion to Trump loyalist was forged in the fire that was the former president's first impeachment trial, where her full-throated defense led to several viral moments.

Photo CNN

"What is the interruption for this time?" she pointedly asked House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., during the 2019 impeachment hearing.

"This is the fifth time you have interrupted members of Congress, duly elected members of Congress," she said as Schiff insisted she wasn't recognized to speak.

Trump was delighted and lavished Stefanik with praise at a White House event following his acquittal.

"You know, I was up campaigning for her, helping her, I thought she looks good, she looks like good talent," he mused. "But did I not realize when she opens that mouth — you were killing them, Elise, you were killing them!"

Trump's praise quickly translated to financial support for Stefanik from the MAGA movement. She hauled in over $13 million, nearly five times the amount she had previously raised for reelection on her own.

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