Report: Elise Sefanik Vows to Serve as Conference Chair Only Until 2022 Midterms

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who is angling to become the next House GOP Conference chair, told Republican colleagues that she only wants to serve in GOP leadership until the 2022 midterm elections.

Stefanik told House Republican colleagues if elected to serve in the third-ranking position, she would only serve until the end of the term. Then, she hopes to take the top position at the House Education and Labor Committee, either as chairman or ranking member, depending on if Republicans take back the House during the midterm elections.

Stefanik’s pledge to serve a limited time in leadership would help assure reluctant House Republicans support her as the next House Republican Conference chair, assuming they successfully remove Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) from the position.

House Freedom Caucus members aired their grievances about her running for the position, including her comparatively less conservative voting record and the fact that Republican leadership has moved quickly to install her as Cheney’s replacement.

Stefanik will likely speak with the Freedom Caucus Monday to try to gain their support for her bid for conference chair.

Other Republicans that some have floated as potential future conference chairs could run after the 2022 midterm elections, such as Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), the chair of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), and Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), the vice conference chair.

House Republicans will meet Wednesday for their weekly conference meeting, in which they will likely vote to oust Cheney as the conference chair. Then, after that vote, Republicans would likely vote on her replacement.

Stefanik recently railed against Twitter temporarily suspending the account of Karoline Leavitt, her communications director. The social media giant claimed Leavitt’s suspension was an “error.”

Stefanik wrote this week, “An unconstitutional overreach SILENCING our voices and freedom of speech. Republicans are united in fighting back against Big Tech’s tyranny. Millions of Americans will not be silenced!”