North Country congresswoman’s departure from Congress opens door to Stec and others
By Lucy Hodgman, Brendan J. Lyons, Times Union and Adirondack Explorer
ALBANY — U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, re-elected last week to serve the North Country in Washington, D.C., is redirecting her sights on the role of ambassador to the United Nations. President-elect Donald J. Trump just offered her the post in his next administration, spurring interest by state Sen. Dan Stec, and others, in her congressional job.
On Monday afternoon Stefanik issued a press release accepting the nomination and thanking the those in her district. “I will forever be grateful to my beloved constituents in New York’s 21st Congressional District for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to work my very hardest to serve and give them a voice at the highest levels of Congress,” she said. “Ten years ago, upstate and North Country voters took a chance on a young, first-time, unknown candidate who very few believed could win. I was proud to be the youngest woman elected to Congress at the time and to earn their overwhelming vote of confidence in six general elections.”
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Stefanik — whose district includes parts of Rensselaer County, the Mohawk Valley and a large swath of the Adirondacks — has been one of Trump’s most vocal supporters in the House of Representatives since shortly after he first took office in 2017.
“I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my cabinet as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America first fighter,” Trump, 78, said in a statement given exclusively to the New York Post on Sunday.
Her appointment would trigger a special election in New York’s 21st Congressional District, a formerly purple district that over the past decade has tilted deep red.
Stefanik, a former White House aide who was first elected to the House in 2014, was at the top of Trump’s list for the position as of late last week. She noted Monday that “the work ahead is immense as we see antisemitism skyrocketing.”
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She told 77WABC’s Sid Rosenberg on Friday morning that she would serve the president-elect in any capacity he asked — whether as an ally in Congress or as a member of his administration.
“I am truly honored to earn President Trump’s nomination to serve in his cabinet as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations,” Stefanik said in a statement to the New York Post. “During my conversation with President Trump, I shared how deeply humbled I am to accept his nomination and that I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate.”
The U.N ambassador is responsible for representing the interests of the United States with the United Nations, serving as a liaison between the U.N. and the U.S. State Department. Historically, the role has served as a career stepping-stone for political names like Madeleine Albright, John Bolton and George H.W. Bush.
Republican and Democratic sources across the district told the Times Union that Stec, a Warren County Republican, is among those who the sources believe will vie to be Stefanik’s successor. Stec did not return a call from the Adirondack Explorer on Monday morning.
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A state GOP source said that Stefanik will want to have a role in selecting the Republican candidate who would need to run for the seat next year in a special election — and that the criteria would include a person who would support Trump’s administration and policies.
Assemblyman D. Billy Jones, a North Country Democrat who was elected to the Assembly in 2016, is among the potential Democratic candidates, although no one has publicly declared their interest in the position. He helped run his family’s dairy farm and was a state correction officer who served as mayor of Chateaugay and also was a Franklin County legislator.
“I have just been re-elected to the Assembly and right now I’m focusing on the upcoming legislative session and my work representing the North Country,” Jones said. “Our current congresswoman has not even resigned and it is still very early in the process of selecting candidates for this position.”
State law requires a governor to issue a proclamation calling a special election within 10 days of a vacancy in Congress and the special election to occur within 70-80 days of the proclamation.
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Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect Stefanik’s Monday communication and Jones’ response. Gwendolyn Craig contributed to this report.
Well, that’s one way to get this odious person out of NY politics!
A great pick!