First-term Representative Anthony D’Esposito (R., N.Y.) spoke with President-elect Donald Trump Thursday evening about his interest in leading the Drug Enforcement Administration, a sign of potential momentum in the outgoing Long-Island congressman’s bid to serve a high-profile role in the administration, National Review is first to report.

D’Esposito says he made his case to the president-elect while he was preparing to go onstage at last night’s Fox Nation’s Patriot Awards at Long Island University’s Tilles Center for Performing Arts.

The first-term Republican congressman, who just lost reelection to to Democrat Laura Gillen, has spent the latter half of this week angling to serve as DEA administrator, as NR has reported, arguing that his experience as a police detective would help him “garner the support of the rank-and-file of those investigators in the DEA having someone lead them who himself conducted investigations for much of his adult life.” His decision to angle for the job comes after Trump pushed out his first pick, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister of Florida this week “because I did not like what he said to my pastors and other supporters,” the president-elect said in a Wednesday social media post.

During his conversation with the president elect, D’Esposito made the case that his background serving in the NYPD and on Capitol Hill makes him a strong fit for the role. He also referenced the host of law enforcement unions that have thrown their support behind his bid, including the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York (NYC PBA) and the Nassau County Detectives Association, among many others.

“I reiterated the fact that I am someone who spent a career in the NYPD conducting investigation dismantling gangs, taking illegal firearms off the street, removing illegal narcotics and their traffickers, as well as conducting long term investigations into those who are trafficking the drugs into into certain areas,” D’Esposito said in an interview with NR regarding his conversation with the president-elect.

A Trump transition spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the conversation and whether D’Esposito is on the shortlist for the position.

Many Republican congressmen have also thrown their support behind his DEA bid, including Representatives Carlos Giménez (R., Fla.), Monica De La Cruz (R. Tex.), August Pfluger (R., Tex.), and many of his New York Republican colleagues.