Stefanik, Elise, 1984-

STEFANIK, Elise M., a Representative from New York; born in Albany, Albany County, N.Y., July 2, 1984; graduated from Albany Academy for Girls, Albany, N.Y., 2002; A.B., Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., 2006; staff, President George W. Bush administration, 2006-2009; campaign aide; businesswoman; elected as a Republican to the One Hundred Fourteenth and to the three succeeding Congresses (January 3, 2015-present); chair, House Republican Conference (One Hundred Seventeenth Congresses).

<p>Elise Marie Stefanik (/stəˈfɑːnɪk/; born July 2, 1984) is an American businesswoman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 21st congressional district since 2015. As chair of the House Republican Conference since 2021, she is the third-ranking House Republican.</p>

<p>A member of the Republican Party, Stefanik's district covers most of the North Country, as well as most of the Adirondacks. It also includes some of the outer suburbs of Utica and the Capital District. Upon her first House election in 2014, Stefanik, aged 30, became the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. Initially elected as a moderate, Stefanik later moved farther to the right and became a strong supporter of President Donald Trump, prominently defending him during his 2019 impeachment amid the Trump–Ukraine scandal. She supported Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, objecting to Pennsylvania's electoral votes after Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol. On the day a House investigation into the attack began, Stefanik asserted that Speaker Nancy Pelosi was responsible for the attack.</p>

<p>Stefanik was elected chair of the House Republican Conference in May 2021 after incumbent Liz Cheney was removed.</p>

<p>Congresswoman Elise Stefanik proudly represents New York's 21st District in the House of Representatives in her fourth term in office.</p>

<p>In May 2021, Congresswoman Stefanik was elected by her colleagues to serve in House Leadership as Chair of the House Republican Conference.</p>

<p>The Center for Effective Lawmaking ranked her in the top 10 most effective Republican members, and the #1 most effective for commerce policy impacting small businesses and workers.</p>