California Rep. Conway sworn in to finish Nunes’s House term

Rep. Connie Conway (R) was sworn into office on Tuesday, one week after she won a special election in California to finish out former Rep. Devin Nunes’s (R) term in the House.

Nunes, who was first elected to the House in 2002, announced in December that he was resigning from Congress to become the CEO of former President Trump’s new media and technology company, Trump Media & Technology Group. He officially departed the lower chamber in January.

Conway, who previously served as a county supervisor and the Republican leader of the California State Assembly, won a special election last week to represent the Garden State’s 22nd Congressional District. She bested Democrat Lourin Hubbard.

With an estimated 76 percent of votes counted, Conway led Hubbard by more than 20,000 votes, according to The Washington Post.

Democrats have an 11-seat majority in the House, 220-209.

Conway’s time in the House will be short, as she was elected to finish Nunes’s term. Under the new congressional lines, her current district will be split into neighboring areas, and the latest 22nd District will be heavily Democratic.

Conway has already decided she will not run for a full term, saying, “I’m term-limiting myself right from the start,” according to Roll Call.

In 2019, Trump chose Conway to serve as California executive director of the Farm Service Agency at the Department of Agriculture. In addition to working in politics and government, Conway was previously a businesswoman and was involved in the health care industry.

Conway was sworn in at the Capitol on Tuesday alongside House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). She took the oath of office on the House floor surrounded by members of California’s congressional delegation.

McCarthy in a statement said the new congresswoman will be a “stalwart defender” against initiatives backed by Democrats.

“As the Assembly Republican Leader, Connie has a demonstrable record of fighting for her constituents and standing up to Sacramento’s Democrat-led government overreach. Here in Congress, she will be a stalwart defender against the radical policies pushed by House Democrats and President Biden’s administration,” McCarthy said.

“Congresswoman Conway, with her experience at the USDA, will be a critical partner in championing the Central Valley’s way of life, and I look forward to working with her on the issues impacting our districts and the American people,” he added.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) welcomed Conway to Congress in remarks from the House floor on Tuesday.

“On behalf of my California colleagues and the House of Representatives, I’d like to welcome Rep. Connie Conway to Congress,” Lofgren said.

“We look forward to working with representative Conway,” she later added.

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) congratulated Conway on becoming a member of Congress.

“It’s my privilege and honor to honor and welcome now representative Connie Conaway as the newest member of the U.S. House of Representatives,” he added on the House floor.

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