House Republicans Vote To Replace Cheney with Trump Loyalist Stefanik

“I also want to thank President Trump for his support,” Stefanik said in remarks after winning the vote. “He is a critical part of our Republican team.”

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) speaks to reporters after winning an election for House Republican Conference chair at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center May 14, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. | Getty Images
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) speaks to reporters after winning an election for House Republican Conference chair at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center May 14, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. | Getty Images

In an expected move, House Republicans on Friday elected Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to the position of party conference chair. Stefanik, a Trump loyalist, will replace Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), who was ousted by the party on Wednesday because she repeatedly denied the conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was stolen. 

As party conference chair, Stefanik will be the third highest-ranking House Republican. That means the top four leaders of the House Republicans — Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), Stefanik, and Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL) — all voted to discredit President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.

Stefanik faced off with Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), member of the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus, for the position of House Republican Conference Chair. Roy’s last-minute bid for the position was considered a long-shot — before Roy confirmed his candidacy Thursday, Stefanik had already been endorsed by McCarthy, Scalise, and former President Donald Trump.

The New York Republican won 134 votes to Roy’s 46 votes. 

In remarks immediately after her win, Stefanik said her focus as conference chair will be on uniting the party.

“I also want to thank President Trump for his support,” Stefanik added. “He is a critical part of our Republican team.”  

When asked if she thinks Trump is the leader of the Republican Party, Stefanik continued her praise: “I believe that voters determine the leader of the Republican Party and President Trump is the leader that they look to. I support President Trump.”

Stefanik’s remarks highlight a growing rift in the GOP in which some members herald Trump, the only president in U.S. history to be impeached twice, as the lifeblood and future of the party — whereas others seek to redefine the conservative movement without the former president at its center.

Before Stefanik was first elected to represent New York’s 21st congressional district in 2015, she worked in the George W. Bush administration. Although she was initially cautious to support Trump's 2016 presidential bid and voted in line with him less frequently than Cheney according to FiveThirtyEight, Stefanik quickly became steadfastly loyal to the former president. She was part of Trump’s 2020 impeachment trial defense team, endorsed his re-election campaign, and opposed his second impeachment trial following the Capitol insurrection in January 2021. Stefanik won her district again by nearly 18 points in 2020 and then peddled election fraud conspiracy theories. She voted against certifying Pennsylvania’s election results the day after the deadly riot at the Capitol.

Stefanik’s current stance on Trump contrasts greatly with Cheney’s. After her ouster on Wednesday, Cheney vowed to do everything she can to “ensure that [Trump] never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office.”