Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) appears to be the last woman standing on former President Donald Trump’s short list of vice presidential candidates.
Stefanik has garnered increasing public attention for interrogating university leaders during the congressional hearings focused on addressing antisemitism on college campuses.
Stefanik was born on July 2, 1984. She is 39 years old.
In 2014, she became the first woman and the youngest person to occupy her House seat, representing New York’s 21st District. She is now in her fifth term and serves as the House Republican Conference chairwoman.
Stefanik is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the House Intelligence Committee, and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.
After graduating from Harvard, Stefanik worked for President George W. Bush’s Domestic Policy Council staff and the chief of staff’s office. From 2006 to 2009, her role involved overseeing the policy development process on economic and domestic issues.
Prior to serving in Congress, she worked at her family’s small business, Premium Plywood Products, a distributor of hardwood plywood and products.
In 2012, Stefanik worked as a media director for Tim Pawlenty’s presidential exploratory committee and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Foreign Policy Initiative. She also managed Rep. Paul Ryan’s debate preparation for the 2012 presidential debates.
Stefanik was born and raised in Albany, New York. She and her husband, Matt, have a son, Sam.
She is a Catholic who has opposed taxpayer-funded abortion but has also said that Republican leaders should be more open to understanding other positions on the issue. She identifies as anti-abortion with the exception of rape, incest, and risks to the life of the mother.
Stefanik’s net worth, as of several years ago, is around $300,000.
As a self-described “ultra MAGA,” she advocates conservative approaches on issues ranging from economic policy affecting small businesses and manufacturers to national security, intelligence reform, and government oversight.
In terms of education, she has taken the lead in efforts to hold elite universities accountable for perceived neglect and combat Chinese Communist Party influence on college campuses.
On national security, she supports enhancing cybersecurity capabilities and confronting China, Russia, and Iran. Additionally, she has advocated a secure border and improved support for law enforcement.
“Chairwoman Elise Stefanik has said that she would be honored to serve in the Trump administration in any capacity. She is focused on ensuring President Trump is elected this November and that we flip the Senate and grow the House Republican majority,” Stefanik spokeswoman Danna Almeida told the Washington Examiner.
Stefanik has established herself as one of the most outspoken supporters of Trump in Congress.
She strongly opposed Trump’s first impeachment in 2019 and supported his efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election outcome.
Additionally, she voted not to certify Pennsylvania’s electoral votes following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and blamed then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for the attack.
Following the removal of Liz Cheney as chairwoman of the House Republican Conference for her opposition to Trump, Stefanik was elected to succeed her.
However, she hasn’t always been on Trump’s side. She called Trump’s comments about women in 2016 “inappropriate” and “offensive.”
She also disagreed with his approach to NATO and expressed disapproval of Trump’s comments about a Gold Star military family who lost their son in Iraq.
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In 2017, Stefanik criticized Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris agreement, saying it was a misstep.
In 2016, she also opposed Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the U.S., citing its contradiction with the Constitution.