Texas Rep. Chip Roy Planning to Challenge Stefanik for House GOP Conference Chair: Report
Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) is planning to run for House GOP conference chair, according to multiple media reports Thursday, putting up a roadblock to Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-NY) ambition to take the position.
The role is empty after House Republicans voted with a voice vote to remove Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) as chair, following her refusal to stop criticizing former President Donald Trump, his baseless claims of election fraud, and his role regarding the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Stefanik has openly expressed an interest in the job, garnering criticism for her evolution from a moderate Republican with a history of bipartisan cooperation into one of Trump’s most vocal defenders.
Roy himself denounced Stefanik from the other direction, sending a memo to his House Republican colleagues openly questioning why they were “rushing to coronate a spokesperson whose voting record embodies much of what led to the 2018 ass-kicking we received by Democrats.” Roy was not defending Cheney, but was very clear in his view that Stefanik was not the right fit for the job.
The public nature of Roy’s criticism of Stefanik led many to speculate that the Texan planned to either challenge her, or put his support behind an ally of his to run.
“While not ruling anything out, Congressman Roy has never sought a position in conference leadership. His focus is on serving Texas’ 21st Congressional district, the American people, and the Constitution. But if the position must be filled, then this must be a contested race — not a coronation,” Roy’s office said in a statement to the Texas Tribune Wednesday.
Roy’s plan to seek the chairmanship himself was confirmed by multiple reporters Thursday, including Politico congressional reporter Melanie Zanona, who tweeted that Roy was planning to run, that Rep. Ken Buck (R-FDS) would officially nominate him tomorrow, and that Roy was planning to “address his colleagues at the candidate forum tonight, where he plans to raise concerns about how speedy this election process has been.”
Roy says he’ll address his colleagues at the candidate forum tonight, where he plans to raise concerns about how speedy this election process has been. https://t.co/VdxVBVAdeT
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) May 13, 2021
Trump issued a statement, voicing his support for Stefanik, which many viewed as motivated by Roy’s vote to certify the election results.
NEW statement from Trump on Roy, who voted to certify the election results:
“Can’t imagine Republican House Members would go with Chip Roy—he has not done a great job, and will probably be successfully primaried in his own district. I support Elise, by far, over Chip!” https://t.co/VdxVBVAdeT
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) May 13, 2021
The threat of a Trumpian primary challenger is one that many Republicans take seriously. However, Roy, first elected in 2018, may benefit from the nature of his district, which includes a large portion of Austin and the suburban areas north of San Antonio. The area, especially around Austin, has been trending blue, and while the district has been controlled by Republicans since the 1978 election, the margin has been narrower in recent years.
Like Cheney, Roy’s voting record is significantly more conservative than Stefanik’s — but Roy didn’t vote against certifying any of the election results, and Stefanik did. Trump may not be able to unseat Roy through a primary in his Central Texas district, but the former president’s support is expected to give a major boost to Stefanik.
Mediaite reached out to Roy for comment but did not receive a response before publication. We will update this article if Roy or his office reply.
