Stefanik, Elise M.

Elise Stefanik represents New York's 21st congressional district, a position she has held since 2015. Born July 2, 1984, in Albany, New York, Stefanik was the first member of her family to earn a college degree, graduating from Harvard University in 2006 with a degree in government. Before entering Congress, she worked in the George W. Bush administration from 2006 to 2009, serving on the Domestic Policy Council and in the White House Chief of Staff's office. She also worked on policy for former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty's presidential campaign and helped prepare Representative Paul Ryan for the 2012 vice presidential debate. At age 30, Stefanik became the youngest woman ever elected to Congress when she won her seat in 2014.

In Congress, Stefanik serves as a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She has been recognized as one of the most effective and bipartisan members of Congress. From 2021 to 2025, she served as chair of the House Republican Conference, making her the highest-ranking woman in the House at that time and the youngest woman ever to hold such a top leadership position. She gained national attention in December 2023 for her questioning of university presidents regarding antisemitism and hate speech on campus, with her testimony becoming the most viewed congressional hearing in history.

Stafanik was initially elected as a moderate conservative but has moved considerably toward the right during her tenure, aligning closely with former President Donald Trump. She strongly opposed Trump's first impeachment in 2019 and voted against certifying President Biden's electoral victory in 2021. In 2024, she was nominated by Trump to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, but Trump withdrew her nomination in March 2025 due to concerns about the narrow Republican majority in the House. In December 2025, she announced she would not seek re-election to Congress.