Washington – Rep. Claudia Tenney said Wednesday she’ll back Rep. Elise Stefanik, an Upstate New York colleague, in her battle for the No. 3 post in House Republican leadership.
Tenney, R-New Hartford, becomes the first New York House member to say she will back Stefanik in her bid to oust Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney as chair of the House Republican Conference.
The secret-ballot vote could be held as early as next week.
In a statement responding to an inquiry from Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard, Tenney said she believes Stefanik is the best choice to unite the party ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
“Our country needs bold and decisive leadership to restore freedom and individual rights in our nation,” Tenney said. “The Republican Conference’s focus must be on taking back the House in 2022 to ensure those freedoms are preserved. Elise Stefanik is a proven leader, who will do an outstanding job uniting the Republicans and leading the charge to unseat Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi.”
Tenney is among the first Republican House members to publicly support Stefanik in the behind-the-scenes battle for the leadership post.
Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, has not commented about her bid, but she is quickly consolidating support among top GOP leaders.
Former president Donald Trump on Wednesday left no doubt where he stands, formally backing Stefanik.
“Liz Cheney is a warmongering fool who has no business in Republican Party Leadership,” Trump wrote. “We want leaders who believe in the Make America Great Again movement, and prioritize the values of America First. Elise Stefanik is a far superior choice, and she has my COMPLETE and TOTAL Endorsement for GOP Conference Chair. Elise is a tough and smart communicator!”
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Republican Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., are also supporting Stefanik, Fox News reported Wednesday.
Stefanik, 36, is in her fourth term representing New York’s 21st Congressional District, which spans 12 counties including all of the North Country and Fort Drum in Jefferson County.
Tenney is among Republicans who have soured on Cheney’s leadership as part of a public rift between GOP House members loyal to Trump and those who don’t support his baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
Cheney in the past week criticized Trump for continuing to push the “big lie” that the election was stolen. She has also supported the formation of a 9/11-style commission that would investigate the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol that led to Trump’s impeachment in the House.
Her spokesman said Tuesday that the GOP leadership fight is about much more than Cheney, who survived an earlier no-confidence vote from House Republicans in February.
“This is about whether the Republican Party is going to perpetuate lies about the 2020 election and attempt to whitewash what happened on Jan. 6,” said Jeremy Adler, speaking for Cheney. “Liz will not do that. That is the issue.”
Stefanik emerged as one of Trump’s biggest defenders in 2019 during his first impeachment trial. In January, she was among GOP House members who voted against accepting the Electoral College vote for Joe Biden in a handful of swing states.
Cheney was among 10 House Republicans – including Syracuse-area Rep. John Katko, R-Camillus – who broke ranks with the GOP and voted to impeach Trump in January for inciting the mob that stormed the Capitol.
Katko’s office did not respond to a request for comment today about his position in the GOP leadership battle.
Tenney has supported Trump since his first campaign for office in 2016. As president, Trump visited Utica to campaign for Tenney in 2018 in her losing bid for re-election in the 22nd Congressional District.
Tenney won the seat back last year in a rematch against former Rep. Anthony Brindisi, D-Utica. In that election, Stefanik raised money and campaigned for Tenney.
Stefanik last year supported 28 Republican women for House seats through her fundraising organization, E-PAC.
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