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House Republicans elect Rep. Elise Stefanik to leadership, replacing Congresswoman Liz Cheney

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik was once known as a moderate in the GOP, but has since embraced former President Donald Trump’s Make American Great Again movement.

By Jeff Parrott Jeff Parrott
SHARE House Republicans elect Rep. Elise Stefanik to leadership, replacing Congresswoman Liz Cheney
Newly-elected House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., smiles as she speaks with reporters with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., on Capitol Hill Friday,

Newly-elected House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., smiles as she speaks with reporters with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., at right, on Capitol Hill Friday, May 14, 2021, in Washington

Associated Press

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have elected New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik to be the GOP’s new conference chair, making her the third-ranking party leader in the House.

The Trump-backed congresswoman won the senior leadership role in a 134-46 secret-ballot vote Friday Morning, Politico reported. Stefanik replaces Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who was voted out of leadership by House Republicans on Wednesday for continuing to be a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump.

Stefanik was once considered a moderate — and had been known as “every Democrat’s favorite Republican,” Time Magazine reported — but has since embraced Trump’s Make America Great Again movement.

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In a post to Twitter after the vote, the newly elected GOP leader thanked House Republicans, the former president and New Yorkers of her district for their support.

  • “I’m truly honored and humbled to earn the support of my colleagues to serve as House Republican Conference Chair,” Stefanik said in a separate statement posted to Twitter.
  • “President Biden and the Democrats are destroying this country. Americans need solutions. The new House Republican leadership team—now including Rep. Stefanik — is ready to provide them,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Twitter after the vote.

Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, Jim Jordan of Ohio and Virginia Fox of North Carolina also received one vote each in Friday’s GOP leadership vote, according to The Hill.

  • Texas Congressman Chip Roy removed his name from nomination, Politico reported.
  • Nine House Republicans voted presented, The Hill reported.
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In a floor speech Tuesday night before Republicans voted her out of leadership, Cheney doubled down on her resistance to the GOP’s consolidation around Trump.

  • “Today we face a threat America has never seen before. A former president — who provoked a violent attack on this Capital in an effort to steal the election — has resumed his aggressive effort to convince Americans that the election was stolen from him. He risks inciting further violence,” Cheney told the House.
  • “Remaining silent and ignoring the lie, emboldens the liar,” said Cheney of Republicans who remain aligned to the twice-impeached former president. “I will not participate in that. I will not sit back and watch in silence while others lead our party down a path that abandons the rule of law and joins the former president’s crusade to undermine our democracy.”