Stefanik announces campaign for sixth term in Congress, battleground fund for N.Y. Republicans

Alex Gault, Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
Updated ·2 min read
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Apr. 11—Rep. Elise M. Stefanik is running for a sixth term in office.

In an announcement early Tuesday, Rep. Stefanik said she's proud to have the universal support of the 21st Congressional District's Republican and Conservative party committees, and the state leadership.

She's also raised a significant sum of money even before formally announcing her bid, bringing in $3 million in the last reporting quarter, according to her campaign.

She cast the election in dire terms, saying she's the option NY-21 voters have to save the country.

"Our country is unrecognizable from when I first stepped into the arena to run for Congress," she said. "The fight to save our country and our state will not be easy but I have never been more determined to work my hardest to save America."

She also stressed her support for the former President, Donald J. Trump, who is now a criminal defendant in a case in Manhattan, where prosecutors allege he paid adult-film star Stormy Daniels to hide their alleged relationship, then counted the payments as a business expense.

"We will work our hardest to defeat the Democrats across New York and the country, to protect and expand our House Majority and elect President Trump in 2024," she said.

Rep. Stefanik, who is the fourth most powerful Republican in the House as Republican Conference chair, has also established a new "battleground fund" to give a boost to Republican candidates in New York elections. New York was the unexpected keystone to Republicans securing their nine-seat House majority this year, as a new slate of congressional district maps helped Republicans to flip four seats.

When the congresswoman was first elected on a moderate platform in 2014, she made a pledge to only seek five terms in office at most. This announcement breaks that pledge, and she has not addressed questions from reporters on the topic for more than two years. She was asked in the 2022 cycle if that would be her last campaign and did not respond.

When reached for comment Tuesday, Rep. Stefanik's senior adviser Alex deGrasse did not address the pledge, instead stating that the congresswoman's constituents are excited to have a Republican representative in her party's leadership.

"She is committed to continuing to ensure the concerns of hardworking families in this district are heard at the highest level and she will continue to be laser-focused on delivering real results," he said.

As she seeks a sixth term, Rep. Stefanik has an opponent for the Republican nomination. Jill A. Lochner, Saratoga County, announced her campaign for the Republican nomination in March, although she said she got a frosty, but anticipated, response from local Republican leadership.

The 2024 election is about 17 months away, and candidates likely won't begin campaigning in earnest until spring 2024, when the ballot petitioning process will begin.