History of Elise Stefanik in Timeline

Elise Stefanik is an American politician currently serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 21st congressional district, a position she has held since 2015. She gained prominence within the Republican party, serving as chair of the House Republican Conference from 2021 to 2025. Her career reflects a rise within the Republican ranks and active participation in American politics.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

July 2, 1984: Elise Stefanik Born

On July 2, 1984, Elise Marie Stefanik was born. She would later become a U.S. Representative for New York's 21st congressional district.

Others born on this day/year

2002: Graduated from Albany Academy for Girls

In 2002, Elise Stefanik graduated from the Albany Academy for Girls.

2004: Vice President of Student Advisory Committee

In 2004, Elise Stefanik was the vice president of the Student Advisory Committee at the Harvard Institute of Politics.

2006: Graduated from Harvard College

In 2006, Elise Stefanik graduated from Harvard College with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

2009: Doug Hoffman Congressional Nominee

In 2009, Doug Hoffman was the Conservative Party's congressional nominee.

2009: Founded 'American Maggie' Blog

In 2009, Elise Stefanik founded the blog "American Maggie" to promote the views of conservative and Republican women, named after Margaret Thatcher.

2012: Purchase of home in Willsboro, New York

After the 2012 election, Elise Stefanik bought a home in Willsboro, New York, near Plattsburgh, where her parents had owned a vacation home for many years.

2012: Involvement in 2012 Election

In 2012, Elise Stefanik helped prepare the Republican platform for the United States presidential election, served as director of new media for Tim Pawlenty's presidential exploratory committee, worked at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and at Foreign Policy Initiative, and managed Rep. Paul Ryan's preparation for the vice presidential debate.

August 2013: Declared Candidacy for U.S. House

In August 2013, Elise Stefanik announced her candidacy in the 2014 election for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 21st congressional district.

2013: Opposed Sequestration Cuts

In 2013, Elise Stefanik opposed the 2013 sequestration cuts to the federal U.S. military budget, citing its effect on Fort Drum.

January 2014: Endorsement from Doug Hoffman

In January 2014, Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party's congressional nominee in 2009, endorsed Elise Stefanik.

2014: Elected to Congress

In 2014, Elise Stefanik won the election for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 21st congressional district, becoming the youngest woman ever elected to Congress at the time.

2014: Influence of Sheryl Sandberg

In 2014, after her election, Elise Stefanik cited Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg as a significant influence on her decision to run for Congress.

February 2015: Appointed Vice Chair of House Armed Services Subcommittee

In February 2015, Elise Stefanik was appointed vice chair of the United States House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness.

July 2015: Selection for Defense Policy Bill Conference Committee

In July 2015, Elise Stefanik was the only freshman on that year's conference committee for the defense policy bill, a position accorded to her due to her extensive experience in foreign policy.

2015: Became U.S. Representative

In 2015, Elise Stefanik began serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 21st congressional district.

2016: Support for Donald Trump's Candidacy

In 2016, Elise Stefanik became increasingly supportive of Donald Trump's candidacy for president after he won the Republican Party presidential primary, despite acknowledging that Trump's remarks in the Access Hollywood tape were "wrong".

2016: Support for Ending Investigation into Russian Interference

In 2016, Elise Stefanik supported ending the House Intelligence Committee's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections over the objections of Committee Democrats.

2016: Vote to Release the Nunes Memo

In 2016, Elise Stefanik voted to release the Nunes memo written by staff members of Representative Devin Nunes. Trump asserted that the memo discredited the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation asserted: "material omissions of fact ... fundamentally impact the memo's accuracy."

January 11, 2017: Elected Co-Chair of Tuesday Group

On January 11, 2017, Elise Stefanik was elected co-chair of the Tuesday Group, a caucus of moderate House Republicans.

January 2017: Joining the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus

In January 2017, Elise Stefanik joined the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, an apparent indication of a moderate stance on climate change issues.

May 4, 2017: Vote in Favor of Repealing the Affordable Care Act

On May 4, 2017, Elise Stefanik voted on party lines in favor of repealing the Affordable Care Act and passing the House Republican-sponsored American Health Care Act of 2017.

August 19, 2017: Marriage to Matthew Manda

On August 19, 2017, Elise Stefanik married Matthew Manda in Saratoga Springs, New York.

November 2017: Vote for the Championing Healthy Kids Act

In November 2017, Elise Stefanik voted for the Championing Healthy Kids Act, which would provide a five-year extension to the Children's Health Insurance Program.

December 2017: Urging Restoration of Net Neutrality

After the Federal Communications Commission decided to repeal Obama-era net neutrality in December 2017, Elise Stefanik urged her congressional colleagues to pass legislation restoring the policy.

December 19, 2017: Vote Against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

On December 19, 2017, Elise Stefanik voted against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, citing inadequate protection for the state and local tax deduction that many in her district rely on.

2017: Co-sponsorship of Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act

In 2017, Elise Stefanik co-sponsored the Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act in the 115th Congress, legislation that would eliminate genetic privacy protections and allow companies to require employees to undergo genetic testing.

2017: Supported Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

In 2017, Elise Stefanik joined her party in supporting H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act of 2017.

2017: Opposition to Trump's Travel Ban

In 2017, Elise Stefanik opposed Trump's executive order imposing a temporary ban on travel and immigration to the United States by nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries.

2017: Voted Against Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

In 2017, Elise Stefanik voted against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, citing concerns about changes to the state and local tax deduction and "Albany's failed leadership".

2017: Support for Trump's Positions

In early 2017, an analysis found Stefanik supported Trump's position in 77.7% of House votes from the 115th to the 117th Congress, leading her to be described as a Trump loyalist.

September 2018: Co-sponsoring the Cyber Ready Workforce Act

In September 2018, Elise Stefanik co-sponsored the Cyber Ready Workforce Act, legislation that would create a grant program within the Department of Labor to expand registered apprenticeships in cybersecurity.

December 2018: Move to Schuylerville

In December 2018, Elise Stefanik and Matthew Manda moved to Schuylerville.

December 2018: Creation of Elevate PAC (E-PAC)

In December 2018, Elise Stefanik announced she would leave the NRCC to create Elevate PAC (E-PAC), a "leadership PAC" dedicated to recruiting Republican women to run for office.

March 26, 2019: Vote to Override Trump's Veto on Southern Border Emergency

On March 26, 2019, Elise Stefanik was one of 14 Republicans to vote with all House Democrats to override Trump's veto of a measure unwinding the latter's declaration of a national emergency at the southern border.

September 25, 2019: Opposition to Trump's Impeachment

On September 25, 2019, Elise Stefanik announced that she did not support the impeachment of President Trump.

November 2019: Defense of Trump During Impeachment Hearings

During the November 2019 hearings, Elise Stefanik emerged as a key defender of President Trump, leading to a controversy where she accused Adam Schiff of preventing Republican committee members from questioning witnesses.

2019: Opposed Trump Impeachment

In 2019, Elise Stefanik strongly opposed the first impeachment of President Donald Trump, which stemmed from the Trump-Ukraine scandal.

2019: Ranked Bipartisan House Member

In 2019, during the first session of the 115th United States Congress, Elise Stefanik was ranked by the Bipartisan Index as the 19th-most bipartisan House member.

December 2020: Support for Baseless Claims About Dominion Voting Systems

In December 2020, Elise Stefanik appeared to support Newsmax's baseless claim that Dominion Voting Systems had helped Joe Biden "steal" the election from Donald Trump.

December 2020: Joining Amicus Brief to Overturn 2020 Election

In December 2020, Elise Stefanik joined over 100 GOP House members in an amicus brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the 2020 election.

December 2020: Support for Lawsuit to Overturn Election Results

In December 2020, Elise Stefanik supported the lawsuit Texas v. Pennsylvania, attempting to reverse Trump's loss by petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to reject certified results in key states, after Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election and Trump refused to concede while making false claims of fraud.

2020: Backing Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election

In 2020, Elise Stefanik backed Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election.

2020: Backed Attempts to Overturn Presidential Election

In 2020, Elise Stefanik supported Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election results, including objecting to Pennsylvania's electoral votes.

2020: Included in Fortune's "40 Under 40"

In 2020, Fortune magazine included Elise Stefanik in its "40 Under 40" list in the "Government and Politics" category.

2020: E-PAC Success in House Elections

In the 2020 House elections, 18 of the 30 women endorsed by Elise Stefanik's E-PAC were elected.

January 6, 2021: Condemnation of Capitol Violence but Rejection of Trump's Fault

On January 6, 2021, after a mob of pro-Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, Elise Stefanik condemned the violence but rejected the idea that Trump was at fault and voted against accepting Pennsylvania's electoral votes in the 2020 election.

February 25, 2021: Voting Against the Equality Act

On February 25, 2021, Elise Stefanik voted against the Equality Act, despite having supported the same legislation during the previous Congress.

March 2021: Voting Against the American Rescue Plan Act

In March 2021, Elise Stefanik and all House Republicans voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill.

May 2021: Calling Trump the Strongest Supporter of the Constitution

In May 2021, Elise Stefanik called Donald Trump the "strongest supporter of any president when it comes to standing up for the Constitution".

May 2021: Elected Chair of the House Republican Conference

In May 2021, Elise Stefanik was elected as chair of the House Republican Conference, succeeding Liz Cheney who was removed due to her opposition to Donald Trump.

May 19, 2021: Vote Against January 6 Commission

On May 19, 2021, Elise Stefanik and other House Republican leaders voted against establishing a January 6 commission to investigate the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

July 29, 2021: "FIRE FAUCI!"

On July 29, 2021, Elise Stefanik tweeted "FIRE FAUCI!" in opposition to federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private employers.

August 2021: Endorsement of George Santos

In August 2021, Elise Stefanik endorsed George Santos's campaign for U.S. representative from New York's 3rd district.

2021: Vote Against the DREAM Act

Although she had previously supported DACA, Elise Stefanik voted against the DREAM Act in 2021.

2021: Paladino's comments

In 2021, Carl Paladino made comments on a radio show praising Adolf Hitler. When asked about the comments Stefanik condemned the remarks, but she did not withdraw her endorsement.

2021: Objecting to Pennsylvania's Electoral Votes

In 2021, Elise Stefanik backed Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election, objecting to Pennsylvania's electoral votes after Trump supporters were involved in the 2021 United States Capitol attack.

2021: Chair of the House Republican Conference

In 2021, Elise Stefanik became the chair of the House Republican Conference.

2021: Facebook Campaign Advertisement Controversy

In 2021, Elise Stefanik claimed in a Facebook campaign advertisement that Democrats were orchestrating a "permanent election insurrection" by granting amnesty to undocumented immigrants. After the 2022 Buffalo shooting, this advertisement received renewed criticism.

2021: Elected House Republican Conference Chair

In 2021, Elise Stefanik was elected House Republican Conference chair, replacing Liz Cheney. She received endorsements from Donald Trump and Steve Scalise.

May 2022: Fundraiser for George Santos

In May 2022, Elise Stefanik held a fundraiser for George Santos, which raised over $100,000 for his campaign.

July 19, 2022: Voting in Favor of the Respect for Marriage Act

On July 19, 2022, Elise Stefanik was one of the 47 Republican representatives who voted in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which codified the right to same-sex marriage in federal law.

2022: Reelected as Conference Chair

After the 2022 elections, Elise Stefanik was reelected as conference chair, defeating Byron Donalds.

2022: Matthew Manda's role at NSSF

As of 2022, Matthew Manda works as the manager of public affairs for the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

2022: Criticism of Biden Administration During Infant Formula Shortage

During the 2022 United States infant formula shortage, Elise Stefanik criticized the Biden administration for supplying baby formula to undocumented immigrants, claiming that Biden was prioritizing immigrants over American citizens. Stefanik accused the Democrats of collaborating with "pedo grifters" in implementing this policy.

2022: Endorsement of Carl Paladino

In 2022, Elise Stefanik endorsed Carl Paladino in the election for New York's 23rd congressional district, actively campaigning for him despite his controversial remarks.

2022: Support for Removing Trump's Impeachments from Congressional Record

In 2022, Elise Stefanik supported Republican congressman Markwayne Mullin's resolutions to remove Trump's impeachments from the Congressional Record.

June 22, 2023: Introduction of Resolutions to Expunge Trump's Impeachments

On June 22, 2023, Elise Stefanik and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced a pair of resolutions to expunge Trump's impeachments.

August 2023: Enrolled in Master's Program at Naval War College

In August 2023, it was reported that Elise Stefanik, along with Rep. Henry Cuellar and Jake LaTurner, was enrolled in the master's in defense and strategic studies program at the Naval War College.

December 2023: Questioning of university presidents on antisemitism

In December 2023, Elise Stefanik questioned university presidents during a congressional hearing on antisemitism, leading to the resignation of Liz Magill, president of the University of Pennsylvania. Stefanik also received the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson Defender of Israel Award.

December 2023: Vote against expulsion of George Santos

In December 2023, Elise Stefanik voted against expelling George Santos from the House of Representatives, expressing concerns about due process.

2023: Questioned University Presidents on Antisemitism

In 2023, during a hearing on antisemitism, Elise Stefanik questioned the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania regarding whether "calling for the genocide of Jewish people" constituted bullying or harassment on their campuses. Her questioning contributed to the resignation of UPenn president Liz Magill. Stefanik characterized the slogan "From the River to the Sea" and calls for an intifada as genocidal.

May 2024: Speech at the Israeli Knesset

In May 2024, Elise Stefanik gave a speech at the Israeli Knesset, calling for "wiping" those responsible for the October 7 attacks "off the face of the Earth".

September 2024: Criticism of the United Nations

In September 2024, Elise Stefanik criticized the United Nations's "extreme antisemitism and moral depravity" and has called on President Joe Biden to "unequivocally support Israel’s right to defend itself against both brutal terrorists and biased international organizations".

October 2024: Call for a Reassessment of US Funding of the United Nations

In October 2024, Elise Stefanik called for a "complete reassessment of US funding of the United Nations" after the Palestinian Authority attempted to expel Israel from the UN due to alleged human rights abuses in Gaza.

November 2024: Offered U.N. Ambassador Position

In November 2024, it was reported that President-elect Trump had offered Elise Stefanik the position of United States ambassador to the United Nations, and she agreed to accept it.

2024: Called for ban on gender-affirming care

In 2024, Elise Stefanik, along with Ben Carson and Miriam Grossman, advocated for a nationwide ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth and a ban on public schools using transgender students' preferred pronouns. She also called for a federal investigation into the Saratoga Springs City School District after it passed a resolution supporting transgender students' participation in sports teams aligning with their gender identity and suggested revoking the school's federal funding.

January 2025: Nominated as Ambassador to the United Nations

In January 2025, President Trump nominated Elise Stefanik to serve as the United States ambassador to the United Nations.

January 21, 2025: Appeared Before Senate Committee

On January 21, 2025, Elise Stefanik appeared before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, vowing to fight antisemitism, support Israel and Taiwan, counter Chinese influence, and use American contributions as leverage to drive reforms.

January 30, 2025: Nomination Advanced by Committee

On January 30, 2025, the Senate Committee advanced Elise Stefanik's nomination in a 19–3 vote. However, Senate Republicans delayed the confirmation process.

March 27, 2025: Nomination Withdrawn

On March 27, 2025, President Trump withdrew Elise Stefanik's nomination as UN ambassador due to concerns about the slim Republican majority in the House. He asked her to remain in Congress.

October 2025: Accusations against Zohran Mamdani

In October 2025, Elise Stefanik intensified her attacks against Zohran Mamdani, labeling him a "full-blown jihadist" who has called for the genocide of Jews.

November 2025: Receipt of Funds from AIPAC

According to Track AIPAC, Elise Stefanik has received upwards of $980,000 from AIPAC as of November 2025.

November 2025: Announced Candidacy for New York Governor

In November 2025, Elise Stefanik announced her candidacy in the 2026 New York gubernatorial election.

November 2025: Announced Not Seeking Re-election

In November 2025, Elise Stefanik announced she would not seek re-election in 2026 and would run for Governor of New York instead.

2025: Award from NY State Young Republicans

In 2025, Elise Stefanik accepted an award from the New York State Young Republicans and praised Peter Giunta for his leadership. After Politico revealed Giunta's racist Telegram chat, Stefanik condemned the chat but criticized the Politico article.

2025: End of term as chair of the House Republican Conference

In 2025, Elise Stefanik's tenure as chair of the House Republican Conference concluded.

2026: Ended Gubernatorial Campaign

In 2026, Elise Stefanik announced that she was ending her gubernatorial campaign, but did not change her mind on not seeking reelection to the House of Representatives.