When you think about it, DC Republican political operative Elise Stefanik doesn't really have too much in common demographically with most of the constituency she seeks to represent in New York's 21st Congressional District, a sprawling area covering most of the state's North Country, Adirondack and Upper Hudson Valley regions, including the Cities of Plattsburgh, Watertown, Glens Falls and about half of the Saratoga Springs area.
A native of Albany County, Elise Stefanik grew up in an upper class household with a vacation home on Lake Champlain in Willsboro, attended prep school at Albany Academy, and immediately began working as an aide to the Bush Administration upon graduating from Harvard University in 2006. Since 2009, Stefanik has worked numerous stints as a Beltway political operative, most notably her time serving as communications director for the neo-conservative Foreign Policy Initiative, the brainchild of domestic hawks such as William Kristol and Charles Krauthammer. In addition, it has also been researched that Stefanik solicited K Steet Lobbyists for input while serving as policy director of the 2012 Republican National Committee Platform.
Perhaps, though, what's most perplexing and almost paradoxical about Elise Stefanik's prospective congressional campaign is how someone who has been so sheltered and insulated from the middle and lower middle classes now thinks she can be an effective representative for the mostly working-class 21st Congressional District. How can someone from such an elitist, upper-crust background actually relate to the concerns of communities such as Plattsburgh, Massena, Watertown, Ticonderoga or Glens Falls?
What's additionally disturbing is that almost all of Elise Stefanik's campaign contributions from her most recent FEC filings come from top Beltway Republican insiders, mostly former Bush Administration officials, including former RNC chair Ken Mehlman and former White House Press Secretary Ari Flescher.
Here are some notable donations to Elise Stefanik's campaign from the itemized individual contributions section from her year-end FEC filing:
Kenneth B. Mehlman, former RNC chair under George W. Bush, $1,000
Ari Fleischer, White House Press Secretary under George W. Bush, $1,000
Donald Evans, U.S. Secretary of Commerce under George W. Bush, $1,000
Salvator "Tony" Fratto, Assistant to George W. Bush, $2,600
Joseph Hagin, White House Deputy Chief of Staff under George W. Bush, $500
William A. Burck, former deputy special council and deputy council to George W. Bush, $1,000
Reginald J. Brown, former Associate White House Council for George W. Bush, $1,000
Brent McIntosh, Deputy Staff Secretary under George W. Bush, $250
Julie Goon, Senior Health Policy Advisor for George W. Bush and prominent pharmaceutical lobbyist, $500
Hunter Moorhead, special assistant on agriculture, trade and food assistance under George W. Bush, $500
Paul O. Wilson, communications consultant for numerous Republican clients, including Karl Rove's American Crossroads and Paul Ryan, $350
Tony Feather, founder of Republican 527 group, Progress for American, which spent millions on television advertising supporting George W. Bush's presidential campaign in 2004 and opposing Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008, $1,000
Stefanik's individual contributions are a stark contrast from retiring Congressman Bill Owens's 2013 year-end filings, which show that many of his donations were from individuals living in cities in and around the 21st District, including Glens Falls, Queensbury, Plattsburgh and Saratoga Springs. Perhaps a cynical viewpoint would be to acknowledge that the financial muscle of high-powered beltway carpetbaggers may have been indeed what pushed Bill Owens out of the race.
Either way, Eilse Stefanik joins the growing list of indpendently wealthy trustfundian Republicans which have attempted to run in the North Country, including Matt Doheny (R-Alexandria Bay) in 2012 and 2010, in addition to Sandy Treadwell (R-Essex County) who was soundly defeated by now U.S. Senator Kirsten Gilibrand in 2008 in the former Upper Hudson Valley-based 20th Congressional District.