Four months after being tapped as President Donald Trump‘s United Nations ambassador, Rep. Elise Stefanik‘s (R-NY) nomination will advance in April.
Stefanik has kept her seat in the lower chamber even after the departure of several other House-turned-administration leaders, such as national security adviser Mike Waltz, due to Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) razor-thin majority. Contentious legislation such as spending deals and budget resolutions has required every GOP vote, especially when Johnson agitators such as Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and a few hard-liners are all but assured to vote against each measure.
Now, Stefanik’s nomination is set to move forward on April 2, according to Axios. The Washington Examiner contacted Stefanik’s team to confirm the schedule and whether she’d also resign from her seat on that date.
Her departure will be eased by the special elections in Florida on April 1, which will fill the seats of Waltz and former Rep. Matt Gaetz R-FL). Both districts are expected to remain in Republican hands, giving Johnson some breathing room as he prepares for the next phase of the reconciliation process.
“Elise Stefanik is a great ally to President Trump, and we look forward to her serving as the Ambassador to the United Nations,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the Washington Examiner.
Republicans currently hold 218 seats to Democrats’ 213 after the recent deaths of former Reps. Sylvester Turner (D-TX) and Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ). With all members present, Johnson can afford to lose two seats to pass legislation along party lines.
But filling Gaetz and Waltz’s seats would give Johnson as much as a three-seat majority — a key win for the speaker, who recently had three to four holdouts over pieces of legislation such as the continuing resolution and the budget resolution.
Who replaces Stefanik, and when, remains to be seen. Semafor reported that Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) is expected to “slow-walk” the special election despite New York’s rule that a special race must be called within 10 days of the vacancy and required to happen within 70 to 80 days after that.
Rumors that Hochul will refuse to call a special election have already stirred anger within Republican circles. If she waits too long, she will likely face GOP-led lawsuits.
New York Democrats had filed a bill that would delay special elections until Election Day, but that bill was shelved in February after fierce Republican opposition. Multiple outlets reported that Hochul asked for the legislation to be pulled, as it could be leverage in her negotiations with Trump over congestion pricing.
Stefanik’s 21st District has been reliably red, with the Republican nominee favored to hold the seat. Anthony Constantino, a New York businessman who made headlines for his public dedication to Trump, is running against Republican state Sen. Dan Stec for the GOP nomination, which local GOP chairs will decide.
An internal poll released by Constantino’s campaign found that he is leading Stec marginally, 40.1% to the state senator’s 39.7%. In a January exclusive interview, Constantino told the Washington Examiner he thinks he’s the best choice because Congress needs more die-hard Trump loyalists.
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“Politics is a lot like business in terms of solving problems, but it’s a lot like boxing in terms of fighting,” Constantino said. “You got to fight in politics, and you got to fight and win. So I know how to fight inside the ring, and I know how to fight outside the ring. I know what it takes to have the courage to get in the ring and fight.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the speaker’s office for comment.