National security minds in Washington, D.C., are awaiting President-elect Donald Trump’s decision for defense secretary.

Trump’s pick of Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., as his national security adviser and his expected pick of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for secretary of state, set a tone for his foreign policy that is expected to be hawkish on China and Iran. 

Whoever Trump picks for defense secretary will oversee major changes within the Pentagon, both a reorienting of troop posture abroad and an across-the-board stripping of DEI provisions they believe caused the Pentagon to go ‘woke’ under President Biden. 

A litany of names has been tossed around for who could lead the government’s largest agency, with one running theme: while his pick needs to pass a Senate confirmation, Trump is expected to appoint a loyalist who will not undermine him. 

During his first term, five men held the job as Pentagon chief only to resign, be fired or serve briefly as a stopgap.

‘I don’t think [Trump] really knows yet who he wants for defense secretary,’ one source familiar with the transition process said. ‘I don’t think he’s decided.’

One possibility is Robert Wilkie, Trump’s former Veterans’ Affairs secretary. Prior to his VA confirmation in 2018, he served as undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness under Trump and served in both the Navy and Air Force Reserve. Wilkie has been leading the Trump transition team with Pentagon staffing. 

Wilkie is a fellow at the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute and a military analyst for Newsmax. 

Another name is Robert O’Brien, Trump’s former national security adviser who has also been involved with the transition team. O’Brien told Fox News Digital that ‘of course’ he would return to a Trump administration. 

O’Brien has been outspoken about the need to pivot U.S. defenses to China. He said the way to force Russia to the negotiating table with Ukraine was through steeper sanctions – and bringing Ukraine into NATO ‘risks World War III.’ 

Richard Grenell, Trump’s former acting director of national intelligence and German ambassador, was also expected to land a national security role in this administration. With the state and national security adviser roles filled, he, too, could land at the Department of Defense. 

Throughout the campaign, Grenell advised Trump on foreign policy and political issues, and led outreach to Arab Americans in Michigan. He appeared with Trump in September when he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Grenell was a pro-Trump antagonist to Europe during his time in Germany, with the former president joking about former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s happiness when Grenell was moved to the national security role. 

Sen. Joni Ernst, the defense-minded Iowa Republican and current GOP conference chair, has also been floated as a possibility, a source confirmed to Fox News Digital, but she remains ‘laser-focused’ on her GOP conference chair race. She also served in the Army Reserve and Iowa Army National Guard. 

If picked, she would be the first female defense secretary. 

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., head of the House Armed Services Committee, was also under consideration and has been contacted by the transition team, a source familiar confirmed. 

However, two sources said that Trump is likely to pull from the private sector for this role. Picking from Congress would whittle away narrow GOP majorities in those chambers, at least until seats were filled. 

Rogers is also a staunch supporter of aiding Ukraine – a position that might put him at odds with Trump. 

Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who held high-level national security posts during Trump’s first term, has also been named as a possibility. 

‘The president is going to make the call on who is in his administration,’ Kellogg recently told Fox News Radio’s Guy Benson, while suggesting he would say yes if the president called. ‘It’s going to be a very loyal team.’ 

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., had been a lead contender for an administration role, likely defense secretary or CIA head, but pulled his name from the running, a source confirmed. He is running for Republican Conference chair and is likely to take over Rubio’s position as head of the Intelligence Committee.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had been floated, but on Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Pompeo would not be joining this administration – and neither would former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. 

Fox News’ Liz Elkind contributed to this report. 

President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of two House Republicans to serve in his administration could pose issues if the GOP’s majority in the chamber ends up critically thin.

Trump has selected House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., as his ambassador to the United Nations, while a source told Fox News Digital that he picked Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to be his National Security Adviser.

Both represent Republican stronghold districts that have little chance of falling into Democratic hands in special elections.

However, those special elections could take place weeks or months after the new term begins in January 2025, which could slow down Trump’s plans for an ambitious first 100-day agenda.

‘That’s an agenda we’ve been working on with President Trump for months now. We didn’t wait until the day after the election to start planning this, and this shows the relentless focus of Donald Trump,’ House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said during a press conference on Tuesday.

‘I know he’s already pulled a few really talented people out of the House – hopefully no more for a little while until special elections come up, but it shows you the talent that we have and the ability we have.’

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., similarly said he did not believe Trump would select any more House members for his administration and said he and Trump broached the topic in discussions.

‘President Trump fully understands and appreciates the math here, and it’s just a numbers game. You know, we believe we’re going to have a larger majority than we had last time. It’s too early to handicap it, but we are optimistic about that,’ Johnson said.

‘But every single vote will count, because if someone gets ill or has a car accident or a late flight on their plane, then it affects the votes on the floor. So, I think he and administration are well attuned to that. I don’t expect that we will have more members leaving, but I’ll leave that up to him.’

House Republicans are on track to win a single-digit majority in the chamber.

It is not much different than it was during the 118th Congress, but GOP leaders will likely face more pressure to keep members in line when working to enact Trump’s will.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ failed presidential campaign spent more than $1 billion in three months, highlighted by several expenditures that have drawn intense criticism, including spending on celebrity influencers, radical activist groups and private jets.

FEC filings show the Harris campaign made two $500,000 payments to Oprah Winfrey’s production company, first reported by the Washington Examiner, on Oct. 15, a month after Winfrey appeared with Harris at a town hall event and weeks before Oprah was on stage with Harris at a Philadelphia rally before election day.

Conservatives on social media widely criticized the move, accusing Harris of buying the famous endorsement that ultimately did not yield a victory.

‘Unconscionable,’ GOP Rep. Greg Murphy posted on X. ‘Oprah, a billionaire, sells her soul for a measly $1M.’

‘Wolf of Wall Street’ Jordan Belfort told Fox News he was ‘shocked’ when he heard about the campaign contribution and likened the campaign’s actions to ‘money laundering.’

Oprah pushed back on the criticism when confronted by TMZ, saying she was ‘paid nothing.’

A Harpo spokesperson acknowledged that Harpo Productions took money from the campaign but claimed it was for ‘production costs’ and said, ‘Oprah Winfrey was at no point during the campaign paid a personal fee, nor did she receive a fee from Harpo.’

Giving money to prominent celebrities was a theme of the Harris campaign, which gave almost $4 million to Village Marketing Agency, a company that connects clients with social media influencers.

The long list of celebrities that joined Harris on the campaign trail included Beyoncé, Bon Jovi, Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez and Bruce Springsteen.

The Washington Examiner also reported that the Harris campaign spent over $12 million on digital media consultants and ‘spent six figures on building a set for Harris’s appearance on the popular Call Her Daddy podcast with host Alex Cooper.’

The campaign spent at least $15 million on ‘event production,’ FEC records show, with many payments lining up with high profile events and concerts with celebrity attendees or performers.

‘The truth is this is just an epic disaster, this is a $1 billion disaster,’ Lindy Li, Harris surrogate and DNC National Finance Committee member, told ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ on Saturday.

The controversial spending habits of the campaign also included contributions to radical activist groups.

The Harris campaign cut multiple six-figure checks in September for left-leaning groups that have been vocal about defunding the police, reparations and are tied to radical activists who have supported notorious antisemite Louis Farrakhan, Fox News Digital previously reported.

The Black Voters Matter Fund, which received $150,000 from the Harris campaign on Sept. 19, has repeatedly called for defunding the police and has been vocal about pushing for reparations.

The Black Church PAC, which also received $150,000 from the Harris campaign in September, has multiple controversial religious leaders on its board and recent social media posts show it is partnering with a defund the police group to help with ‘Get out the vote’ efforts in Georgia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

Despite running a campaign warning of the effects of climate change, which she has previously called an ‘existential threat’, Harris gave over $4 million to Advanced Aviation to fly on private jets, FEC filings show.

The campaign, according to FEC filings, also spent north of $56 million on payroll and payroll taxes in just three months.

Filings also show the campaign gave in excess of $100 million to various consulting and marketing firms, including Gambit Strategies LLC, DuPont Circle Strategies LLC, and Bully Pulpit Interactive LLC. 

The Harris-Walz campaign is reportedly $20 million in debt, having raised more than $1 billion and had $118 million in the bank as of Oct. 16, according to Politico reporter Christopher Cadelago. 

News of the campaign debt sparked a social media troll from President-elect Donald Trump, who suggested he could cover the $20 million.

‘I am very surprised that the Democrats, who fought a hard and valiant fight in the 2020 (sic) Presidential Election, raising a record amount of money, didn’t have lots of $’s left over,’ Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth.

‘Now they are being squeezed by vendors and others. Whatever we can do to help them during this difficult period, I would strongly recommend we, as a Party and for the sake of desperately needed UNITY, do,’ Trump added.

‘We have a lot of money left over in that our biggest asset in the campaign was ‘Earned Media,’ and that doesn’t cost very much. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!’

The Harris campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report. 

National security minds in Washington, D.C., are awaiting President-elect Donald Trump’s decision for Defense secretary.

Trump’s pick of Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., as his national security adviser and his expected pick of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for secretary of state, set a tone for his foreign policy that is expected to be hawkish on China and Iran. 

Whoever Trump picks for Defense secretary will oversee major changes within the Pentagon, both a reorienting of troop posture abroad and an across-the-board stripping of DEI provisions they believe caused the Pentagon to go ‘woke’ under President Biden. 

A litany of names has been tossed around for who could lead the government’s largest agency, with one running theme: while his pick needs to pass a Senate confirmation, Trump is expected to appoint a loyalist who will not undermine him.  

During his first term, five men held the job as Pentagon chief only to resign, be fired or serve briefly as a stopgap.

One possibility is Robert Wilkie, Trump’s former Veterans’ Affairs secretary. Prior to his VA confirmation in 2018, he served as undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness under Trump and served in both the Navy and Air Force Reserve. Wilkie has been leading the Trump transition team with Pentagon staffing. 

Wilkie is a fellow at the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute and a military analyst for Newsmax. 

Another name is Robert O’Brien, Trump’s former national security adviser who has also been involved with the transition team. O’Brien told Fox News Digital that ‘of course’ he would return to a Trump administration. 

O’Brien has been outspoken about the need to pivot U.S. defenses to China. He said the way to force Russia to the negotiating table with Ukraine was through steeper sanctions – and bringing Ukraine into NATO ‘risks World War III.’ 

Richard Grenell, Trump’s former acting director of national intelligence and German ambassador, was also expected to land a national security role in this administration. With the state and national security adviser roles filled, he, too, could land at the Department of Defense. 

Throughout the campaign, Grenell advised Trump on foreign policy and political issues, and led outreach to Arab Americans in Michigan. He appeared with Trump in September when he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Grenell was a pro-Trump antagonist to Europe during his time in Germany, with the former president joking about former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s happiness when Grenell was moved to the national security role. 

Sen. Joni Ernst, the defense-minded Iowa Republican and current GOP conference chair, has also been floated as a possibility, a source confirmed to Fox News Digital, but she remains ‘laser-focused’ on her GOP conference chair race. She also served in the Army Reserve and Iowa Army National Guard. 

If picked, she would be the first female Defense secretary. 

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., head of the House Armed Services Committee, was also under consideration and has been contacted by the transition team, a source familiar confirmed. 

However, two sources said that Trump is likely to pull from the private sector for this role. Picking from Congress would whittle away narrow GOP majorities in those chambers, at least until seats were filled. 

Rogers is also a staunch supporter of aiding Ukraine – a position that might put him at odds with Trump. 

Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who held high-level national security posts during Trump’s first term, has also been named as a possibility. 

‘The president is going to make the call on who is in his administration,’ Kellogg recently told Fox News Radio’s Guy Benson, while suggesting he would say yes if the president called. ‘It’s going to be a very loyal team.’ 

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., had been a lead contender for an administration role, likely Defense secretary or CIA head, but pulled his name from the running, a source confirmed. He is running for Republican Conference chair and is likely to take over Rubio’s position as head of the Intelligence Committee.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had been floated, but on Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Pompeo would not be joining this administration – and neither would former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. 

Fox News’ Liz Elkind contributed to this report. 

President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of two House Republicans to serve in his administration could pose issues if the GOP’s majority in the chamber ends up critically thin.

Trump has selected House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., as his ambassador to the United Nations, while a source told Fox News Digital that he picked Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to be his National Security Adviser (NSA).

Both represent Republican stronghold districts that have little chance of falling into Democratic hands in special elections.

But those special elections could take place weeks or months after the new term begins in January 2025 – which could slow down Trump’s plans for an ambitious first 100-day agenda.

‘That’s an agenda we’ve been working on with President Trump for months now. We didn’t wait until the day after the election to start planning this, and this shows the relentless focus of Donald Trump,’ House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said during a press conference on Tuesday.

‘I know he’s already pulled a few really talented people out of the House – hopefully no more for a little while until special elections come up, but it shows you the talent that we have and the ability we have.’

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., similarly said he did not believe Trump would select any more House members for his administration and said he and Trump broached the topic in discussions.

‘President Trump fully understands and appreciates the math here, and it’s just a numbers game. You know, we believe we’re going to have a larger majority than we had last time. It’s too early to handicap it, but we are optimistic about that,’ Johnson said.

‘But every single vote will count, because if someone gets ill or has a car accident or a late flight on their plane, then it affects the votes on the floor. So, I think he and administration are well attuned to that. I don’t expect that we will have more members leaving, but I’ll leave that up to him.’

House Republicans are on track to win a single-digit majority in the chamber.

It’s not much different than it was during the 118th Congress, but GOP leaders will likely face more pressure to keep members in line when working to enact Trump’s will.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has called Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who President-elect Donald Trump is expected to tap to serve as secretary of state, a ‘strong choice’ for the cabinet-level role.

‘Unsurprisingly, the other team’s pick will have political differences than my own,’ Fetterman wrote in a post on X. ‘That being said, my colleague @SenMarcoRubio is a strong choice and I look forward to voting for his confirmation.’

If Rubio does take on the job next year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will be able to appoint a temporary replacement to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat until a special election is held for the seat.

Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., has called Rubio ‘an outstanding choice.’

‘Senator Rubio has a proven record of promoting freedom, defending American interests on the global stage, and standing firm against threats from the CCP. His leadership will be invaluable in advancing our nation’s values and priorities abroad,’ Steube said in a tweet.

Rep. Carlos Giménez, R-Fla., said in a statement that, ‘President Trump has made a truly historic and brilliant choice in selecting Senator Marco Rubio as our nation’s Secretary of State.’

Rubio has announced that he is supporting fellow Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott for the role of Senate Republican Leader. 

Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and John Thune, R-S.D. are also vying for the role. 

Senate Republicans are slated to hold the vote on Wednesday. 

Rubio has served in the Senate since 2011.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said there are ‘preliminary plans’ for President-elect Donald Trump to visit Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

The Louisiana Republican broke the news during a Tuesday morning press conference in response to Fox News Digital’s question about whether he and Trump had discussed the issue of government funding.

‘I didn’t intend to break this as news this morning,’ Johnson said when asked by another reporter to elaborate. ‘But since I said it… President Trump is going to be meeting with President Biden at the White House. And so, it was suggested – in fact, that he, I think he said it first before I did – but, that he wanted to come and visit with House Republicans.’

He said House leaders were ‘working out the details’ of his visit, which would take place before his meeting with Biden.

‘That would be a great meeting and moment for all of us,’ Johnson said.

Johnson said he would also be at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida over the weekend to discuss government funding and other federal priorities.

The speaker has forged a close working relationship with Trump since winning the gavel in late October 2023 after the historic ouster of his predecessor.

Even before Trump won the election, Johnson would keep the then-former president abreast of his policy and legislative decisions for the House before making them public.

Wednesday will be Trump’s first day back in the nation’s capital since he won the 2024 election.

The Tuesday morning press conference was held to celebrate Republican victories in the White House and Senate, and tout the GOP’s confidence in keeping the House majority.

Several close races are yet to be decided, but enough are trending Republicans’ way that leaders have already assumed they will hold the levers of power in Washington.

With former president and now President-elect Donald Trump unable to run again for the White House in 2028, Vice President-elect JD Vance appears to be the heir apparent to the America First movement and the Republican Party’s powerful MAGA base.

It was a point driven home by Donald Trump Jr., the former and future president’s eldest son and powerful ally of the vice president-elect.

‘We are getting four more years of Trump and then eight years of JD Vance!’ Trump Jr. said two weeks ago on the campaign trail in Ohio.

Vance, who was elected to the Senate in Ohio just two years ago, will likely be the clear frontrunner in the next Republican presidential nomination race.

‘The vice president will be in the catbird seat. No question about it,’ longtime Republican consultant Dave Carney told Fox News Digital. 

Carney, a veteran of numerous Republican presidential campaigns over the past four decades, said that Vance ‘is the guy to beat.’

David Kochel, another longtime GOP strategist with plenty of presidential campaign experience, told Fox News that Vance is the frontrunner due to ‘the size and the scope of last week’s victory and the implied passing of the torch from Donald Trump.’

‘There will be no shortage of people looking at it. But most people looking at it are seeing the relative strength of the Trump victory and the movement,’ Kochel said.

Trump, in his victory speech late on Election Night, noted that he faced some criticism in July for naming Vance as his running mate, saying ‘I took a little heat at the beginning.’ However, he emphasized ‘he turned out to be a good choice.’ 

Additionally, with Trump’s support in a party firmly in the president-elect’s grip, the 40-year-old Vance will be extremely hard to knock off. 

However, Kochel noted that ‘nobody will completely defer to JD Vance. There will be a contest. There always is.’

Carney added that ‘there may be other people who challenge him [Vance]…there’s a lot of people who want to be president, but it will be very hard a lane other than the Trump lane.’

He added that a possible rough four years for the Trump/Vance administration would give potential Vance challengers ‘opportunities.’

However, he praised the vice president-elect’s messaging and accessibility on the campaign trail and that ‘he is the guy to beat, regardless of whether it’s a good four years or a rough four years.’

Carney also touted that the Republican Party has a ‘deep bench.’ 

Here’s a look at some of those on the bench that may have national aspirations and ambitions in 2028, or beyond.

The conservative governor of Florida was flying high after a landslide re-election in 2022, but an unsuccessful 2024 presidential primary run and a bruising battle with Trump knocked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis down in stature.

However, the term-limited 46-year-old governor, who has two years left in office steering Florida, proved over the past few years his fundraising prowess and retains plenty of supporters across the country.

DeSantis was also able, to a degree, to repair relations with Trump, helped raise money for the GOP ticket during the general election, and earned a prime time speaking slot at July’s convention.

While DeSantis may have his eyes on another White House run, with Sen. Marco Rubio likely leaving the Senate to become America’s top diplomat, there’s a possibility DeSantis could run in a 2026 special Senate election.

The popular conservative governor is one of the few in the GOP who can claim he faced Trump’s wrath and not only survived, but thrived.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who is term limited, has two years left in office and enjoys strong favorable ratings in a crucial battleground state.

Expect to see the 61-year-old Kemp on the campaign trail across the country for fellow Republicans in 2026, as his national profile expands.

With his 2021 gubernatorial victory – the first by a Republican in Virginia in a dozen years – Gov. Glenn Youngkin instantly became a GOP rising star.

In Virginia, governors are limited to one consecutive four-year term, which means Youngkin has one year left in office. 

The 57-year-old governor, who hails from the Republican Party’s business wing but has been able to thrive in a MAGA-dominated party, likely harbors national ambitions. 

A first step could be a cabinet post in the second Trump administration after his term as governor ends.

Sen. Ted Cruz was the runner-up to Trump in the blockbuster 2016 Republican presidential battle.

The controversial conservative firebrand passed on challenging Trump again in 2024, as he ran for what was thought to be another difficult re-election bid, after narrowly surviving his 2018 re-election.

However, the 53-year-old senator ended up winning a third six-year term in the Senate by nearly nine points.

The Army veteran, who served in combat in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars before becoming a rising star in Republican Party politics, was considered to be on the larger list of potential Trump running mates.

The now-47-year-old Sen. Tom Cotton seriously mulled a 2024 White House run of his own before deciding against it in late 2022, putting his young family ahead of political ambitions. However, he did not rule out a future presidential bid.

Cotton is currently bidding for the GOP conference chair, the number three leadership position in the incoming Senate Republican majority.

The 44-year-old Sen. Josh Hawley, along with Cotton, is another rising conservative star in the Senate. 

Hawley is also a strong defender of Trump’s America First agenda and is thought to have national aspirations.

The former two-term South Carolina governor, who served as U.N. ambassador in Trump’s first term, was the first GOP challenger to jump into the race against the former president in the 2024 nomination race. 

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley outlasted the rest of the field, becoming the final challenger to Trump before ending her White House bid in March.

While the 52-year-old Haley ended up backing Trump in the general election, her earlier clashes with the now president-elect during the primaries left their mark. Even though she addressed the GOP faithful at the convention, her political future in a party dominated by Trump is uncertain.

The first-term conservative governor of Arkansas is a well known figure in MAGA world, thanks to her tenure as Trump’s longest serving White House press secretary during his first administration.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the daughter of former Arkansas governor and former two-time presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, has also grabbed national attention for delivering the GOP’s response to President Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address.

The multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur, anti-woke crusader and first-time candidate was one of the biggest surprises during the GOP presidential nomination race.

The now 39-year-old Vivek Ramaswamy, who touted during his campaign that he and Trump were the only two ‘America First candidates’ in the large field of contenders, eventually dropped out of the race and became a major backer and surrogate for the former president.

Others to keep your eyes on include Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who ran for the 2016 nomination and may end up with a top cabinet post in the second Trump administration; Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who ran unsuccessfully for the 2024 nomination but remains very popular; and Sen. Rick Scott of Florida and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who both mulled but decided against presidential runs this past cycle.

Also, not to be ignored – top Trump supporters Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida and Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, whom Trump on Monday named to serve as U.S. ambassador to the U.N., and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.

Then there is Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect’s eldest son and MAGA warrior. However, the younger Trump is very close to Vance, which would likely prevent him from making any White House bid in the next cycle.

A competitive race is brewing within the House GOP after the conference’s No. 4 leader was plucked to serve in the new Trump administration.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., was elevated to serve as ambassador to the United Nations next year, sending lawmakers jockeying to fill her spot in Wednesday’s internal party leadership elections.

Now, at least three GOP lawmakers are running to fill her role, sources say, while two others have expressed interest. 

The House GOP Conference chair is responsible for crafting and overseeing House Republicans’ messaging strategy, as well as setting up their weekly conference meetings and beyond.

It is an influential role on Capitol Hill that is little-known outside of Washington, D.C., but that could change in a federal government where Republicans control the White House, House and Senate.

Here’s everyone who is considering running so far.

Rep. Kat Cammack

Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., is a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee and has at times served as a liaison during negotiations between House GOP leaders and more right-wing members of the conference.

She has the backing of several fellow Republicans like Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

Cammack’s bid was also endorsed by LGBT group Log Cabin Republicans and the national Young Republicans organization.

In her letter to Republicans pitching herself for the role, Cammack suggested creating a Hispanic Outreach Task Force and a dedicated ‘rapid response operation’ to help with communications conference-wide.

Rep. Erin Houchin

First-term Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., pointed out her experience running a communications firm in her argument to Republican lawmakers.

Like Cammack, she also shared a vision for moving House GOP messaging past traditional routes.

‘The role of Conference chair is not about being in the spotlight; it’s about amplifying our members’ voices and providing them the tools we need,’ Houchin said. ‘As legacy media fades, I’ll carry forward President Trump’s approach of taking our message directly to the American people.’

Rep. Lisa McClain

Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., currently House GOP Conference secretary, was the first to express interest in the House GOP Conference chair role after Stefanik’s then-rumored departure.

Unlike the other three confirmed competitors, McClain comes from a critical battleground district – something she pointed out in her memo to lawmakers.

‘I hail from a blue state, one of the most critical battlegrounds for the presidency and our House majority. I understand what it takes to win tough races,’ she said of her home state of Michigan.

McClain has scored support from lawmakers across the House GOP, including Freedom Caucus member Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., senior House Armed Services Committee member Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., and Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., among others.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., a first-term lawmaker who has garnered a significant media following, told Fox News Digital she was considering a run for the No. 4 House GOP leadership spot.

‘I haven’t ruled out running, many people are saying I should. Whoever it is, I believe it’s important [they support] President Trump from the very beginning,’ she said.

Luna has been a staunch ally of President-elect Donald Trump and is a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus.

Rep. Blake Moore

Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, currently serves as House GOP Conference vice chair – a job he won after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., ascended to the top job after his successor’s ouster in late 2023.

A source close to Moore told Fox News Digital that he was considering a run for conference chair as of Monday, and that he was making calls to colleagues about the matter. 

Like Luna, he has not formally entered the race.

Once Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., vacates her seat to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has 10 days to set the date for a special election to replace her in the House. 

The special election must be held within 70 to 80 days afterward, and there are already a number of possible contenders reportedly being considered to claim New York’s 21st Congressional District. 

Stefanik won a sixth term to represent the district which encompasses North County, New York, but President-elect Donald Trump chose her this week to fill the U.N. ambassadorship in his new cabinet. 

Republican names being floated include state Sen. Dan Stec, who represents portions of St. Lawrence County and other eastern regions of the state; state Assemblymen Robert Smullen and Christopher Tague; and Rensselaer County Executive Steven McLaughlin, according to WWNY. Possible Democratic candidates include Assemblyman Billy Jones, whose state district falls just east of St. Lawrence County, as well as past unsuccessful challengers to Stefanik such as Matt Castelli and Paula Collins.

Stefanik won 62.27% of the vote last week against Collins, who garnered just 37.73%, according to The Associated Press. 

Stefanik has built up a national profile as an unwavering ally of Trump and as a sharp-tongued Republican voice. First elected to Congress in 2014 at age 30, she eventually shed her early reputation as a moderate Republican and rose to become the highest-ranking woman in the House Republican leadership. Stefanik represents a largely rural northern New York district that includes some of the most sparsely populated parts of the state.

Democrats in New York unseated three first-term Republican incumbents in the U.S. House last Tuesday, as voters in the Empire State were expected to play an outsized role in helping determine control of the House. 

Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump following the 2020 election. 

There will also be a separate contest to replace Stefanik as the House Republican Conference chair. 

Stefanik’s grilling of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses in the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests in the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as the conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah continues.

Stefanik, who served as a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Intelligence Committee, and the Education and Workforce Committee, released a statement Monday afternoon following her nomination to Trump’s cabinet. 

During a conversation with Trump, Stefanik said she shared ‘how deeply humbled I am to accept his nomination and that I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate.’ 

‘President Trump’s historic landslide election has given hope to the American people and is a reminder that brighter days are ahead – both at home and abroad,’ she said. ‘America continues to be the beacon of the world, but we expect and must demand that our friends and allies be strong partners in the peace we seek. The work ahead is immense as we see antisemitism skyrocketing coupled with four years of catastrophically weak U.S. leadership that significantly weakened our national security and diminished our standing in the eyes of both allies and adversaries.’  

The congresswoman said she stands ready to advance Trump’s ‘restoration of America First peace through strength leadership on the world stage on Day One at the United Nations’ and thanked her ‘beloved constituents in New York’s 21st Congressional District for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to work my very hardest to serve and give them a voice at the highest levels of Congress.’ 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.