House GOP picks Stefanik to replace Cheney as conference chair

By Meg Wagner, Melissa Macaya and Veronica Rocha, CNN

Updated 5:40 p.m. ET, May 14, 2021
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9:32 a.m. ET, May 14, 2021

Stefanik elected as House GOP conference chair

From CNN's Clare Foran, Manu Raju, Lauren Fox and Annie Grayer

J. Scott Applewhite/AP
J. Scott Applewhite/AP

House Republicans just voted to elevate Rep. Elise Stefanik to the No. 3 leadership position of conference chair.

The final result was 134 votes for Stefanik and 46 for Rep. Chip Roy, according to multiple sources in the room. 

Earlier this week, Republicans ousted Rep. Liz Cheney from the conference chair role after she repeatedly called out former President Donald Trump's "Big Lie" that the 2020 election was stolen.

9:25 a.m. ET, May 14, 2021

House Republicans voting now for new conference chair

From CNN's Manu Raju, Daniella Diaz and Annie Grayer

From left, Representatives Chip Roy and Elise Stefanik.
From left, Representatives Chip Roy and Elise Stefanik. Getty Images

Things are moving quickly in the leadership election and the vote for new House GOP conference chair is starting, according to a source in the room. 

Elise Stefanik, a high-profile Trump defender, faces a conservative challenger — GOP Rep. Chip Roy — but his candidacy is viewed as a long-shot and she is widely anticipated to win.

Reps. John Katko, Ashley Hinson and Mike Kelly all gave speeches for Stefanik, per a member in the room.

Rep. Ralph Norman addressed the GOP conference to second Rep. Ken Buck’s nomination for Roy as conference chair, per a member in the room.

Rep. Lauren Boebert also spoke to nominate Roy.

9:10 a.m. ET, May 14, 2021

Representative who voted to impeach Trump will give nominating speech for Stefanik, source says

From CNN's Lauren Fox

Rep. John Katko speaks at a press conference on April 14.
Rep. John Katko speaks at a press conference on April 14. Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images

A source familiar tells CNN this morning that Rep. John Katko will give the nominating speech for Rep. Elise Stefanik 

Katko was one of 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach former President Trump and was an ally of Rep. Liz Cheney, who was ousted from the role of conference chair on Wednesday.

8:47 a.m. ET, May 14, 2021

NOW: House Republicans meet behind closed doors to vote for Cheney replacement by secret ballot 

From CNN's Clare Foran

House Republicans are meeting now and are expected to vote to elevate Rep. Elise Stefanik to the No. 3 leadership position of conference chair after ousting Rep. Liz Cheney from the role.

Stefanik, a high-profile defender of former President Donald Trump, faces a conservative challenger — GOP Rep. Chip Roy — but his candidacy is viewed as a long-shot and she is widely anticipated to win. The New York congresswoman has the backing of House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, Whip Steve Scalise and Trump.

How the process will unfold: After some speeches, including nominating speeches, there will be a secret ballot election.

The closed meeting, GOP sources say, is expected to take about an hour.

8:51 a.m. ET, May 14, 2021

Stefanik's challenger Chip Roy calls for unity as he enters conference room for vote

From CNN's Annie Grayer 

Rep. Chip Roy, center, walks with reporters on Friday.
Rep. Chip Roy, center, walks with reporters on Friday. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Rep. Chip Roy, who is challenging Rep. Elise Stefanik for the conference chair, position told reporters as he entered the room where the vote is happening that “it’s critically important that we have a strong, united message” but called for “a better process” on how this election takes place.

House Republicans are expected to vote today to elevate Stefanik to the No. 3 leadership position of conference chair after ousting Rep. Liz Cheney from the role.

8:48 a.m. ET, May 14, 2021

"We are in a strong position," Stefanik says ahead of today's vote 

From CNN's Ryan Nobles and Annie Grayer

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is seen as the favorite to become the Republican Party’s next conference chair told reporters yesterday that the candidate forum between her and Rep. Chip Roy for the position was “a great discussion.”

Asked how she made her pitch to her colleagues, Stefanik said, “I was focused on unifying the conference. Making sure that we have, every member, has an opportunity to shine, rank and file members, and how we win the majority in 2022.”

When pressed on how many votes she has, as she previously enlisted many of her colleagues to do a whip count for her on her behalf, Stefanik said, “we are in a strong position.”

“I know the vote count we have and I'm in a strong position going into tomorrow, so I’m excited about the unity from all corners of the conference” Stefanik added when pressed to give a specific number.

Asked about Roy’s last minute bid challenging her for the position, Stefanik told reporters, “I think anybody can run.”

“I'm not going to attack anyone for running. I think it's healthy to have a debate and discussion” Stefanik added.

Asked how he contrasted himself with Stefanik, Roy said, “I think you can look at the policy issues and see a pretty clear distinction,” but pledged unity after the vote tomorrow. “We're all gonna walk out tomorrow united against the Democratic Party that is literally destroying our country by the day.”

Roy said he did not want to get into his opposition to the electoral objection, when asked if he considered it an important distinction with Stefanik. 

“I'm not going to get into any of the specifics, all I'm going to do is just say that this is a good, strong, robust conversation among my colleagues including Elise.”

Stefanik said the lawmakers did not discuss President Trump or the 2020 election.

8:45 a.m. ET, May 14, 2021

As vote nears on Cheney's replacement, Stefanik is in the conference room

From CNN's Clare Foran and Annie Grayer 

Rep. Elise Stefanik arrives on Capitol Hill on Friday, May 14.
Rep. Elise Stefanik arrives on Capitol Hill on Friday, May 14. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Rep. Elise Stefanik walked into the conference room where the election for conference chair will start at approximately 8:30 a.m. ET.

Stefanik walked in through a door far away from where reporters are allowed to stand. 

Stefanik, a high-profile Trump defender, faces a conservative challenger — GOP Rep. Chip Roy — but his candidacy is viewed as a long-shot, and she is widely anticipated to win.

The New York representative has the backing of House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, Whip Steve Scalise and former President Donald Trump.

9:22 a.m. ET, May 14, 2021

Here's a reminder of how the vote to oust Cheney unfolded on Wednesday

From CNN's Daniella Diaz and Annie Grayer

The vote to oust Rep. Liz Cheney from her leadership position took only 16 minutes.

Before the House Republican Conference met Wednesday morning to oust the Wyoming congresswoman from her position as the third-ranking Republican member in Congress, sources told CNN they expected it to be quick.

But it happened so quickly that some members arrived just in time for the vote. It stood in contrast to the more than four-hour meeting and vote that took place on February 4 that kept Cheney in leadership at the time, following her vote to impeach former President Donald Trump for his role in inciting the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

The meeting began with Cheney giving remarks to her colleagues, where she once again called out Trump for his "Big Lie" that the 2020 election was stolen and other Republicans who aided his efforts to overturn his loss, charging that she would lead "the fight to restore our party and our nation to conservative principles."

"We cannot let the former President drag us backward and make us complicit in his efforts to unravel our democracy," Cheney said in her remarks before being ousted. "Down that path lies our destruction, and potentially the destruction of our country."

Sources told CNN that when she criticized Trump, she was booed by some of her colleagues.

She concluded her remarks with a prayer, which earned her a standing ovation, according to Rep. Ken Buck, a conservative Colorado Republican.

Then, Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina made the motion to recall Cheney, thus formally beginning the process of removing her as conference chair.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy spoke briefly and a voice vote was called. Because it was a voice vote, there is no tally of those who supported or opposed Cheney.

A source in the room told CNN that McCarthy made the same points he wrote in his letter released on Monday before the vote.

Another source told CNN that five lawmakers stood to request a recorded vote to remove Cheney from the leadership — but that did not happen and the gavel came down.

Cheney told colleagues it was up to McCarthy, a California Republican, whether he wanted a voice vote or not "and Kevin asked for voice," the source said.

After her ouster, Cheney walked out of the meeting and addressed reporters, saying she plans to lead the fight to move the Republican Party closer to the fundamental principles of conservatism.

10:33 a.m. ET, May 14, 2021

House GOP has repeatedly rebuffed Cheney's demands to call out Trump's election lies

From CNN's Manu Raju

Rep. Liz Cheney told House Republicans in private on Wednesday that it's time to reject former President Trump's big lie that he won the election because failing to do so will "make us complicit in his efforts to unravel our democracy."

But GOP lawmakers don't want to hear it.

From the most conservative members to ones in swing districts, a wide range of Republicans either back Trump outright, endorse aspects of his claims or hope the issue will simply go away so they won't have to weigh in — eager to avoid becoming mincemeat for Trump, who is demanding total loyalty despite his evidence-free argument that the election was rigged.

Many argue more investigation is needed over mail-in voting even though Trump's own Justice Department determined there was no evidence of widespread fraud, all 50 states certified their elections and the former President and his allies lost in dozens of court cases including before the US Supreme Court. And most blame Cheney — not Trump — for injecting the issue back into the national spotlight.

"No one knows about whether what happened in the election," New York Rep. Claudia Tenney, who won one of the tightest races in the country, told CNN after the vote to oust Cheney on Wednesday. "We don't know if it was stolen or not, (Cheney) doesn't know, I don't know, the President doesn't know. But what I know is we need to fix it."

And some say that Trump truly won — roundly dismissing his role in the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

Rep. Jody Hice, a Republican running for secretary of state of Georgia with Trump's support, said that the former President would have a won his state "if there was a fair election."

Asked if he believed Trump actually won reelection in 2020, Hice said in an interview: "I believe if it was a fair election, yes. I believe absolutely."

Indeed, Cheney's view represents a minority of the House GOP Conference — an uncomfortable reality for House GOP leaders who recognize that relitigating the validity of the 2020 elections is not a winning message heading into the 2022 midterms when control of Congress is at stake.

And that was a big reason why Republican leaders were eager to eject Cheney from her No. 3 spot, hoping that pushing her into the rank-and-file would minimize what they viewed are unneeded distractions within their own leadership ranks.

Read the full story here.