December 2014

Elise Stefanik Becomes Youngest Woman Elected to Congress

Elise StefanikElise Stefanik

Elise Stefanik
Elise Stefanik celebrated her election victory with her supporters at the Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls, New York.

In the November 4, 2014, midterm elections, 30-year-old Elise Stefanik became the youngest woman ever elected to the U.S. Congress. Running as a Republican, she defeated Democratic incumbent Aaron Woolf in New York’s 21st Congressional District. An incumbent is the person who is currently holding the office.

Stefanik was born and raised in Albany, New York. She grew up in the same area that she will now represent in Congress. She got an early start to her career in politics. When she was in sixth grade at the Albany Academy for Girls, she ran for student council secretary and won. To help her win the race, she promised to get a snack machine for the school. When the machine arrived, students were excited to have the snacks. School administrators were also pleased because the academy got a share of the machine’s profits. These helped pay for school activities, such as dances.

After finishing high school, Stefanik attended Harvard’s Institute of Politics. At age 22, she graduated from Harvard and got a job as an assistant with President George W. Bush’s Domestic Policy Council. She later worked for the office of the White House Chief of Staff. After President Bush finished his second term, Stefanik left the White House and cofounded a group called Defending Defense. The group opposed cuts that were being made to the nation’s military budget. In 2012, she helped Republican nominee Paul Ryan prepare for his vice presidential debate with Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

While working in sales at her family’s plywood business in New York, Stefanik began thinking of running for office. She decided to run for Congress in 2014 because she wanted to help improve the economy and bring a new, younger point of view to Washington, D.C. Her campaign slogan was “New Ideas. New Leadership.” Now that she’s won a seat in Congress, Republicans see her as a rising star in their political party. They hope that she will inspire more women and young people to get involved in politics.

Image credit: ©AP Photo/The Post-Star, Steve Jacobs
 
Question 1
What state will Elise Stefanik represent in the U.S. Congress?





 
Question 2
Which former President did Elise Stefanik once work for?






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