Elise Stefanik wins second term as House GOP conference chairwoman
Juliegrace Brufke
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House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) managed to fend off a challenge from freshman Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) to retain her leadership position in the next Congress on Tuesday.
Supporters of Donalds, one of two black Republicans in the lower chamber, took issue with Stefanik, who succeeded Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) in the role after the Wyoming Republican was ousted over her criticisms of former President Donald Trump, for breaking her vow to serve only one term in the position, a commitment her team later denied she made before she backtracked during a candidate forum on Monday.
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Stefanik received 144 votes to Donalds’s 74.
Stefanik’s backers praised her tenure for helping lead the conference’s messaging efforts. Trump also threw his support behind her, telling Fox News he thinks she is “fantastic.”
During the candidate forum on Monday, Donalds reminded members that the vote was conducted via secret ballot, and allies argued he had garnered more support than many expected, according to a source in the room.
“Stefanik was hyped up for switching her district from blue to red. Byron responded by saying, ‘I didn’t flip my seat from blue to red, but I’ve definitely flipped Democrats from blue to red ideologically,’ to big applause. He said he goes to where voters are,” the source added.
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“Byron also said in another question that ‘anyone with the title of conference chair can raise money, but can you do it without the title? My FEC report speaks for itself,’” the source said. “He raised more in his first term than Elise raised in her first two terms combined.”
Multiple sources told the Washington Examiner that Donalds is seen as a possible gubernatorial candidate in the future.