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Rep. Stefanik says being a mother makes her a ‘more effective leader,’ vows Congress moms ‘on a mission’

March 27, 2022 | | Print Article

House Republican Caucus Chair Elise Stefanik said motherhood has made her “a more effective leader” and vows that she, along with fellow mothers in Congress are “moms on a mission” committed to advocating for the next generation.

Stefanik, who, at 30, was the youngest woman to ever be elected to the House of Representatives in 2014, a record that has since been broken by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was 29 when she was elected in 2018. In August, Stefanik welcomed her first child, a bouncing baby boy, and on Thursday, she sat down with Fox News at the House Republican Issues Conference to discuss being a mom, the future of Republican women in Congress, and firing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “once and for all.”

“I think becoming a mom has made me a more effective leader and a more effective congresswoman because I think about the country that we’re leaving for the next generation,” Stefanik said.

“There are so many newly-elected Republican women in Congress who are moms, and they are moms on a mission,” she continued. “I mean, there is no greater advocate for the next generation than moms and dads — particularly moms who, when they find out about, you know, the masking mandates in school, some of what’s being taught in our school curriculums, moms are stepping up to make their voices heard.”

According to Stefanik, for the upcoming 2022 elections, “more Republican women have filed to run for Congress than ever before in our nation’s history.”

She called the new group of 2022 GOP candidates a “great crop,” and added that she has personally endorsed “18 rising star, top-tier women Republican candidates across the country.”

Among the favored are Karoline Leavitt, who previously served as both Stefanik’s spokesperson and as an assistant press secretary to former President Donald Trump. Leavitt is currently running to represent the 1st Congressional District in New Hampshire.

Also endorsed is Esther Joy King who is hoping to represent Illinois’ 17th Congressional District. King served as an aid worker in Afghanistan and was a member of the Judge Advocate General Corps in the U.S. Army Reserve.

An for Kansas’s 3rd Congressional District, Stefanik hopes to swing votes to Amanda Adkins, who served as the Kansas Republican Party chairwoman before assuming an executive role at a global Kansas City-based health care and information technology company.

Endorsements were also extended to Nevada’s April Becker; Pennsylvania’s Lisa Scheller; Monica De La Cruz, who owns a small business in Texas; Virginia’s Jeanine Lawson; and to Virginia State Senator, nurse practitioner, and former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot Jen Kiggans who hopes to take Virginia’s 2nd Congressional district.

When she first rolled out her list of promising candidates back in November, Stefanik called her picks “the most impressive and diverse group of rising stars we’ve ever seen.” At the time, she made a prediction to Fox News: GOP women would be “majority makers.”

During Thursday’s interview, Stefanik stressed that each candidate is “very focused on their district.”

As an example, Stefanik cited Kiggans, who, according to Stefanik, is an “exceptional candidate to run against Rep. Elain Luria, who has voted nearly lock, stock and barrel with Nancy Pelosi.”

“We think a candidate like Kiggans is going to continue to shine on the campaign trail and that her constituents, or future constituents, will vote against Elaine Luria but also vote for the strong leadership that Jen Kiggans will provide,” explained Stefanik.

And Kiggans isn’t the only strong female choice in 2022.

“There are candidates like that all across the country,” Stefanik said. “She’s just one example of one of my first endorsed candidates.”

“We believe these women candidates will lead the way in firing Nancy Pelosi once and for all,” Stefanik said confidently.

Melissa Fine
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