Elise Stefanik
(1984 - )
Early Life and Education
Elise Stefanik was born on July 2, 1984, in Albany, New York, and grew up in the state’s North Country region. She graduated from Albany Academy for Girls and earned a degree in Government from Harvard University. Afterward, she worked in Washington, D.C., in the Bush administration’s Domestic Policy Council and the Chief of Staff’s office, gaining experience in national policy.
Early Career and Election to Congress
Prior to serving in Congress, Stefanik worked at her family’s small business. Stefanik was elected in 2014 to represent New York’s 21st Congressional District, becoming the youngest woman elected to Congress. Throughout her tenure, she has been a prominent figure within the Republican Party, particularly in New York, and was elected House Republican Conference Chair in 2021.
Legislative and Committee Work
Stefanik served on several committees, including the House Armed Services Committee, the Committee on Education and Labor, and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Her legislative work has focused on national security, economic policy, and government oversight, particularly issues affecting military readiness, broadband expansion, and rural healthcare.
Support for Israel and Combating Anti-Semitism
Stefanik has consistently supported Israel and advocated for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship. She has also been active in addressing anti-Semitism, particularly on college campuses. Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, Stefanik raised concerns about the rise in anti-Semitic incidents at universities, notably questioning the leadership of institutions such as Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania regarding their handling of anti-Semitism and threats to Jewish students.
Stefanik has also supported the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism at U.S. universities, which she believes could improve the response to discriminatory incidents and promote a safer environment for Jewish students.
On November 4, 2024, Stefanik called to permanently cut off aid for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA), the main supplier of humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza.
Nomination as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
On November 11, 2024, the incoming Trump administration nominated Stefanik to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
Sources: “About Congresswoman Stefanik,” stefanik.house.gov.
“Stefanik Stands with Israel and Renews Call to Defund UNRWA,” stefanik.house.gov, (November 4, 2024).
Emma Colton, “What Stefanik's House tenure reveals about what type of UN ambassador she may be,” Fox News, (November 11, 2024).
Photo: United States House of Representatives, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Download our mobile app for on-the-go access to the Jewish Virtual Library
