NRCC Recruitment Chair Elise Stefanik: We Must Encourage Non-Traditional Candidates To Run

WASHINGTON – NRCC Recruitment Chair Elise Stefanik joined CBS This Morning to highlight the NRCC’s efforts to recruit non-traditional candidates. There are a record-breaking three times more female Republican candidates this cycle than in past election cycles.

REP. ELISE STEFANIK: So, this job as Chair of Recruitment, I’m the first woman to hold this position, and it was a job that I sought out. I think we need to encourage non-traditional candidates to run for office, which is why I focus specifically on recruiting women, on recruiting Hispanic candidates, on recruiting African Americans. In my experience, I was not recruited to run for Congress, so I understand that we needed to think more broadly. And I often think non-traditional candidates—in this political climate—are the most effective members of Congress and the most effective candidates, particularly in swing districts. So this is a positive news story. It’s great to see women running on both sides of the aisle. We’re more bipartisan and we need to increase our numbers in Congress to be more reflective of the population at-large.