President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Rep. Elise Stefanik to serve in his Cabinet as the ambassador to the United Nations.
According to Politico, Trump said he was “honored to nominate" Stefanik, describing her as, "an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter."
In a statement to the New York Post, Stefanik said she was "deeply humbled" to accept Trump's nomination. "I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate," said Stefanik.
If approved, a special election would be held in the North Country's 21st Congressional district, which Stefanik has represented since 2015.
NY GOP Chairman Ed Cox issued a statement Monday morning congratulating Stefanik's nomination. "Republicans will hold this safe Republican seat as a part of a Republican majority in the House that will help deliver on President Trump's historic mandate," Cox said in the statement.
When she was first elected, Stefanik was considered a moderate Republican and a future leader of the party. In her first three terms in office, she climbed to the 13th most bipartisan member of Congress according to the Lugar Center’s Bipartisan Index.
That began to shift in 2020, when Stefanik aligned herself with then-President Trump during his two impeachment trials, becoming increasingly more loyal to Trump.
In 2021, she became a leader of the Republican party, replacing Rep. Liz Cheney as the House GOP Conference Chair.
Stefanik gained additional national notoriety in late 2023 and early 2024 as she led Congressional hearings over anti-semitism on college campuses.
Stefanik has also been critical of the U.S.'s involvement in the UN, saying in a recent statement that the Biden administration has allowed the UN "to rot with antisemitism."
UN ambassador is considered an influential position, previously held by Madeleine Albright, George H.W. Bush, and during Trump’s last presidency, Nikki Haley.
