Republicans quickly battle to replace Stefanik in House GOP leadership

Republicans began scrambling to replace Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) as House GOP conference chair almost immediately after news broke that President-elect Trump had picked her to serve at the United Nations, with multiple contenders stepping into the race.

Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), the House GOP conference secretary, told The Hill she is running for Stefanik’s old post. Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) is also seeking the position, according to a source familiar with her bid.

Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) announced that she is running for the post on X, saying: “We need to be one team, one mission. I’m all in to be our next House Conference Chair and I look forward to executing on the America First agenda we have been sent to Washington for.”

Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah), the current House GOP Vice Chair, is also making calls to colleagues about seeking the position, according to another source with knowledge of his activities.

The House GOP will hold internal leadership elections Wednesday, when the conference will vote on lawmakers to serve in the top posts during the upcoming 119th Congress.

Republicans are poised to retain their control of the lower chamber, but by a small margin. The House remained uncalled as of Monday morning, but Republicans have secured 216 seats, and Democrats were trailing at 209. A total of 10 races have not yet been called.

It’s theoretically possible Democrats could win the House majority, but they’d need to win nine of the 10 races left to call, including a number of battles where their candidates are running behind.

The role of conference chair is the No. 4 post in the House GOP majority. Stefanik was elevated to the job in May 2021, after the group voted to oust former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) from the position for her opposition to the idea that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.

Stefanik’s move to the Trump administration does not come as a surprise. Before Election Day, a source familiar with the matter told The Hill that they heard directly from Stefanik that she wanted to serve in a potential Trump administration.

Some, however, have already taken themselves out of the running. Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) will not seek the position, she said in a statement, saying she was “humbled to have my name mentioned” but would focus on her work with committees. Rep. Ashley Hinson (Iowa) also said she will not vie for the role.

“I’m humbled that my colleagues would consider me for this important post but I am not running for a leadership position. My focus is on serving Iowa’s Second Congressional District and working to ensure we carry out President Trump’s agenda,” Hinson said in a statement.

McClain has served in the House since 2021, ascending to the role of conference secretary in 2023. She serves on the Oversight and Accountability; Budget; Armed Services; and Education and the Workforce committees.

Cammack also arrived on Capitol Hill in 2021. She sits on the Agriculture Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee, in addition to the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.  Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) is supporting Cammack for the post after passing on a bid of his own, a source familiar with the matter told The Hill. Donalds had been floated as a potential candidate for conference chair.

Moore, who is also in his second term and is a member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, became House GOP vice chair last year, replacing Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

Houchin is in her first term, making her the newest of the members seeking the Conference Chair position.

House Republicans will elect their conference chair by a simple majority on a secret ballot.

Other top House Republicans are seeking reelection to their posts, including Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson (R-N.C.).

To remain Speaker, Johnson will not only have to win his party’s nomination, but get near-unanimous support from House Republicans in a floor vote Jan. 3, since Democrats will vote for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) to be Speaker.

Only one other lower-ranked leadership position has multiple candidates vying for the spot: chair of the Republican Policy Committee. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) is seeking another term in the post but is facing a challenge from Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), the outgoing chair of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in the House.

This story was updated at 2:26 p.m.

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