Elise Stefanik

Elise Stefanik
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 21st district
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Preceded by Bill Owens
Personal details
Born (1984-07-02) July 2, 1984
Albany, New York, U.S.
Political party Republican
Alma mater Harvard University (A.B.) (2006)
Religion Roman Catholicism[1]
Website House website

Elise M. Stefanik (born July 2, 1984) is an American politician from the state of New York. She is a member of the Republican Party and a member of the United States House of Representatives in New York's 21st congressional district.[2] She is the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, elected in 2014 at age 30.[3][4][5]

Early life and career

Stefanik was born in Albany, New York in 1984. Her parents, Melanie and Ken Stefanik, own a plywood business in the Albany area.[6] She attended the Albany Academy for Girls. Stefanik is an honors graduate of Harvard University, graduating in 2006.[7][8][9] While at Harvard she was awarded the Women's Leadership Award.[10][11] After graduating from Harvard at 21 years old, she joined the administration of President George W. Bush,[12] working on the Domestic Policy Council.[13]

She also worked in the office of the White House Chief of Staff for Bush's second deputy chief of staff, Joshua Bolten.[8][13] She has worked as communications director for the Foreign Policy Initiative and as the policy director for former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty during his 2012 presidential campaign.[8]

Stefanik managed Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan’s debate preparation as he ran for Vice President of the United States in the 2012 general election.[8][12][14] Following the Romney-Ryan loss in the 2012 presidential election, she returned to upstate New York to join her parents' wholesale plywood business, located in Guilderland Center, New York.[8][9]

U.S. House of Representatives

2014 election

In 2013, Stefanik declared her candidacy in the 2014 election for the United States House of Representatives in New York's 21st congressional district. The district and its predecessors had been in Republican hands for 136 years before Democrat Bill Owens won a 2009 special election. Owens had opted not to seek reelection.

Stefanik defeated Matthew Doheny in the Republican primary election 61 to 39 percent,[15] She faced Aaron Woolf, the Democratic Party nominee, in the general election on November 4.[12] Stefanik defeated Woolf 55.2% to 33.5%, becoming the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.[14][16][lower-alpha 1]

Tenure

In January 2015, Stefanik was appointed to the House Armed Services Committee.[17] She was elected by the freshman Representatives in the 114th Congress to serve as the Freshman Representative to the Policy Committee.[18]

In February 2015, she was appointed vice chairwoman of the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Readiness.[19]

Committee assignments

Policy positions

Stefanik wants to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.[20] Stefanik voted in favor of the Keystone Pipeline.[21] Stefanik opposed the 2013 sequestration cuts to the federal U.S. military budget, specifically its effect on Fort Drum in Watertown, New York.[21]

Personal life

Stefanik resides in Willsboro, New York.[22] She owns a minority interest in a townhouse near Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., valued at $1.3 million.[23]

Electoral history

U.S. House of Representatives election, 2014: New York's 21st district
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Elise Stefanik 96,226 53.0 +7.7
Democratic Aaron G. Woolf 53,140 29.3 -17.8
Green Matthew J. Funiciello 19,238 10.6 +9.0
Majority 43,086 23.7 +21.9
Turnout 181,558 100.0 -32.5

Notes

  1. ↑ Stefanik won the election at age 30. Previously the youngest woman to win an election to Congress was Elizabeth Holtzman, who was 31 when first elected in 1973.[16]

References

  1. ↑ Fessenden, Helen (November 4, 2014). "New York-21: Elise Stefanik (R)". National Journal (Washington, D.C.). Retrieved January 8, 2015.
  2. ↑ Jaffe, Alexandra (September 23, 2014). "GOP chances of flipping Rep. Owens' seat grow". The Hill (Washington, D.C.). Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  3. ↑ "The Insiders' Outsider". The Weekly Standard. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  4. ↑ Lachman, Samantha. "Elise Stefanik May Become Congress' Youngest Woman Ever". Huffington Post. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  5. ↑ LoGiurato, Brett (November 5, 2014). "Elise Stefanik Wins, Now Youngest Member Of Congress". Business Insider. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  6. ↑ LoTemplio, Joe (October 6, 2014). "Stefanik delivers national radio address". Press-Republican (Plattsburgh, New York). Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  7. ↑ "NYCFPAC Endorses Elise Stefanik for Congress in New York’s 21st Congressional District". New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms Political Action Committee (NYCFPAC) (Lima, New York). Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Jamie Weinstein. "Elise Stefanik wants to go to Congress". The Daily Caller. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  9. 1 2 "Congressional challengers line up » Sunday". Press-Republican. August 18, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  10. ↑ Toczauer, Nicole (October 4, 2014). "Meet Elise Stefanik, the Candidate Who Could Become the Youngest Woman in Congress". ABC News (New York). Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Harvard Gazette Archives". Harvard University Gazette (Cambridge, Massachusetts). Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  12. 1 2 3 "Elise Stefanik declared winner of GOP primary in NY-21". syracuse.com. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  13. 1 2 Hagerty, Meg (May 4, 2014). "Stefanik's campaign ramping up". Glens Falls Post-Star (Glens Falls, New York). Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  14. 1 2 Center, Shira T. How Elise Stefanik Became the Youngest Woman Ever Elected to Congress, Roll Call, November 12, 2014.
  15. ↑ New York – Summary Vote Results, Associated Press, June 25, 2014
  16. 1 2 ABC News. "Elise Stefanik, the Youngest Woman Ever Elected to Congress – ABC News". ABC News. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  17. ↑ Earle, Geoff (January 7, 2015). "Youngest-ever congresswoman stands out on first day in office". New York Post (New York, New York). Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Biography". Elise Stefanik's Congressional Website (Washington, D.C.). Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  19. ↑ Flatley, Daniel; White, Perry (February 5, 2015). "Stefanik named to leadership post on subcommittee". Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, New York). Retrieved June 23, 2015. Military readiness, training, logistics and maintenance issues and programs, military construction, installations and family housing issues, and the BRAC process are all part of the subcommittee’s purview.
  20. ↑ Harding, Robert (October 5, 2014). "Elise Stefanik, Republican candidate in 21st Congressional District, delivers weekly GOP address". The Auburn Citizen (Auburn, New York). Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  21. 1 2 "NY Rep. Elise Stefanik Reacts to State of the Union". Nexstar Broadcasting Group WVNY (Plattsburgh, New York). January 20, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  22. ↑ "21st Congressional hopeful Elise Stefanik visits Saratoga County". Saratogian.com. June 19, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  23. ↑ "New York GOP House candidate has history of late property tax payments". TheHill. April 29, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014.

External links

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Bill Owens		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 21st congressional district
2015–present 		Incumbent
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Patrick Murphy		 Baby of the House
2015–present 		Incumbent
United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Steve Russell		 United States Representatives by seniority
422nd 		Succeeded by
Mark Takai
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