New York Rep. Elise Stefanik will not run unopposed to replace Rep. Liz Cheney as House Republican conference chairwoman.
A spokesman for Texas Rep. Chip Roy’s office confirmed to the Washington Examiner that Colorado Rep. Ken Buck will nominate Roy to replace Stefanik. House Republicans will hold a candidate forum on Thursday night.
Earlier this week, Roy circulated a memo warning against a “coronation” for Stefanik, who quickly emerged as a front-runner to replace Cheney when it became clear she would be removed from her leadership position.
Former President Donald Trump, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise have all expressed their support for making 36-year-old Stefanik the House Republican Conference chairwoman after removing Cheney from the messaging-focused role over her vocal criticism of Trump’s election fraud claims.
MCCARTHY CALLS POTENTIAL CHALLENGE TO STEFANIK ‘HEALTHY DEBATE’
Republicans removed Cheney from the position Wednesday morning in a 15-minute conference meeting by a voice vote.
Unlike Roy, Buck opposed removing Cheney. “Liz Cheney was canceled today for speaking her mind and disagreeing with the narrative that President Trump has put forth,” he told reporters after the vote.
And he especially opposed making Stefanik the conference chairwoman, calling her a “liberal.”
Stefanik, who was on Trump’s defense team for his 2019 impeachment, has echoed his concerns about what Republicans call election integrity. But voting records and scorecards from conservative organizations are lower than Cheney’s, causing opposition to her entering a leadership role in the caucus.
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After reports of Roy considering a run for the seat surfaced, McCarthy told the Washington Examiner: “It’s always healthy to have debate. That’s what you have. You have primaries and others when you’re filling a seat. Anybody can run.”
But Roy’s last-minute candidacy isn’t playing well with Trump. The former president said in a statement Thursday:
“Can’t imagine Republican House Members would go with Chip Roy—he has not done a great job, and will probably be successfully primaried in his own district. I support Elise, by far, over Chip!”
