Elise Stefanik Staying in NY

By Ben Roach Last updated Apr 3, 2025

Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY-21) returns to Congress to represent the North Country. PHOTO CREDIT: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

With the already slim majority of House Republicans, President Donald Trump has made the decision to pull his nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-NY. to be the next Ambassador to the United Nations. He declared that he was withdrawing the nomination to help preserve the razor-thin majority held by the Grand Old Party (GOP).

Stefanik is set to return to her original seat in the 21st district of New York. President Trump, when speaking about the decision, said he didn’t want to risk her open seat even while the seat heavily favors Republicans. Rep. Stefanik noted she was honored to be returning to her role. “This is very important that we put the American people first,” she said. The Ambassadorship would have been a great position for Stefanik as it was a cabinet-level position with national visibility, all the while being away from the drama of Washington.

That said, Stefanik was very well-liked in her district, winning her last election with 62 percent of the vote in 2024. “The people love Elise, and, with her, we have nothing to worry about come election day,” said Trump. “There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations. Therefore, Elise will stay in Congress, rejoin the House Leadership Team, and continue to fight for our amazing American people,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Stefanik was also a strong up-and-comer within the House Republican Conference. Her work in Congress was noted by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson R-LA, who thanked her for agreeing to remain in the House. “I will invite her to return to the leadership table immediately,” he said. The only issue with that is Stefanik’s position has already been filled. GOP Rep. Lisa McClain, R-MI. has assumed the position and a source close to her has said Stefanik has no plans to step down.

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With the slim majority, the Republicans largely need to remain entirely unified to pass legislation that likely all Democrats will oppose. Currently, as it stands, they can only afford two defections from their own party and still pass with a simple majority. The two-thirds vote, on the other hand, is one that almost always will need to be bipartisan.

House Democrats have been quick to pounce on the GOP choice to pull Stefanik’s nomination due to fears of their margin saying, “Republicans are running scared. What happened to their so-called mandate?” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY. Many are even thinking ahead to 2026, bringing up the point that if Republicans are worried now about a district with a 21 percent win, then what happens in the midterms for more vulnerable districts? All good questions, but only time will tell what comes of them.