Elise Stefanik

Elise Stefanik
Official portrait of Elise Stefanik. She is a middle-aged woman with dark hair.
Official portrait, 2017
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Presumptive nominee
Assuming office
TBD
PresidentDonald Trump
SucceedingLinda Thomas-Greenfield
Chair of the House Republican Conference
Incumbent
Assumed office
May 14, 2021
Leader
Vice Chair
Preceded byLiz Cheney
Succeeded byLisa McClain (designate)
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 21st district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Preceded byBill Owens
Personal details
Born
Elise Marie Stefanik

(1984-07-02) July 2, 1984 (age 40)
Albany, New York, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Matthew Manda
​
(m. 2017)​
Children1
EducationHarvard University (BA)
Signature
Websitestefanik.house.gov
Elise Stefanik's voice
Elise Stefanik on researching the impact of the hemlock woolly adelgid species on trees
Recorded May 18, 2018

Elise Marie Stefanik (/stəˈfɑːnɪk/ stə-FAH-nick; born July 2, 1984) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 21st congressional district. As chair of the House Republican Conference since 2021, she is the fourth-ranking House Republican. Stefanik's district covers most of the North Country and the Adirondack Mountains, some of the outer suburbs of Utica, and the Capital District in New York. In addition to being the first woman to occupy her House seat, Stefanik was 30 when first elected to the House in 2014, making her the youngest woman elected to Congress at the time.

Initially elected as a moderate conservative, Stefanik has moved considerably towards the right, as she aligned herself with President Donald Trump during his first term in office.[1] She strongly opposed the first impeachment of Trump in 2019 amid the Trump-Ukraine scandal and backed Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election, objecting to Pennsylvania's electoral votes after Trump supporters were involved in the 2021 United States Capitol attack. As the U.S. House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack began to investigate, Stefanik claimed that Speaker Nancy Pelosi was responsible for the attack.[2] Stefanik was elected chair of the House Republican Conference in May 2021 after incumbent Liz Cheney was removed due to her opposition to President Trump.

Known for her pro-Israel beliefs, Stefanik gained national attention in December 2023[3] for her intense questioning of university presidents during a widely televised U.S. congressional hearing on antisemitism.[4][3][5] Stefanik's questioning contributed to the subsequent resignation of Liz Magill, the president of the University of Pennsylvania.[6] Stefanik was awarded the "Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson Defender of Israel Award" by the Zionist Organization of America.[7]

In November 2024, CNN reported that President-elect Trump had offered Stefanik the position of United States ambassador to the United Nations.[8] On November 10, Stefanik confirmed to the New York Post that she was offered and has accepted the position.[9][10]

  1. ^ Confessore, Nicholas (December 31, 2022). "The Invention of Elise Stefanik". The New York Times. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  2. ^ Herbert, Geoff (July 27, 2021). "House panel begins Capitol riot hearings; Rep. Elise Stefanik deflects blame to Pelosi". syracuse.
  3. ^ a b Saul, Stephanie; Hartocollis, Anemona (December 6, 2023). "College Presidents Under Fire After Dodging Questions About Antisemitism". The New York Times. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference apnews_ae1294d644b3305cc51e8d9bb7252766 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Hensley, Sarah Beth (December 6, 2023). "Harvard's president answers backlash over response to calls for 'genocide of Jews'". ABC News. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  6. ^ Wren, Adam (December 11, 2023). "'Bud Light moment': Stefanik forces a reckoning on the left". POLITICO. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Collins, Kaitlan (November 10, 2024). "Trump offers Rep. Elise Stefanik role of UN ambassador, sources say". CNN. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  9. ^ Nelson, Steven (November 11, 2024). "Exclusive | Trump offers Rep. Elise Stefanik ambassador to United Nations post: report". New York Post. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  10. ^ Dorn, Sara; Forbes Staff (November 15, 2024). "Trump's Cabinet: Pence Speaks Against RFK Jr Nomination To HHS". MSN. Retrieved November 12, 2024.