Stefanik to make pitch to House Republicans for No. 3 leadership post

Washington — New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik will make her pitch to House Republicans in a candidate forum Thursday evening in her bid to replace Congresswoman Liz Cheney as GOP conference chair, the day after Cheney was unceremoniously ousted from her post due to her persistent criticism of former President Donald Trump.

Stefanik is considered the frontrunner for the post, as she has support from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, prominent Freedom Caucus member Jim Jordan and Mr. Trump himself. No other Republican has formally thrown their hat in the ring, but a few conservative members have raised concerns about Stefanik's credentials. A final vote is expected on Friday. Congressman Chip Roy, a member of the Freedom Caucus who issued a memo on Tuesday indicating that he would not support Stefanik, is considering a bid for the post. His office said in a statement Wednesday that Roy was "not ruling anything out," arguing that "this must be a contested race — not a coronation."