Michigan's Lisa McClain elected to U.S. House GOP leadership post

Washington — U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan was elected Tuesday evening to serve as secretary of the House Republican Conference, making her the second woman on the House GOP leadership team.

McClain, who was elected to her second term last week, defeated Reps. Andrew Clyde of Georgia and Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin for the role during a closed-door meeting of members at the Capitol. McClain got 106 votes, Clyde 62 and Grothman 38, a spokesman said.

McClain, R-Bruce Township, joins one other woman serving on the GOP leadership team, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, who was reelected as conference chair.

"I’m grateful to be the next conference secretary, and it’s an honor to have the support of my colleagues," McClain tweeted after the vote. "We need to work as a team in this majority, and I am proud to have a seat at the leadership table as we move this country forward."

The GOP conference on Tuesday also nominated Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California to be speaker, with the full House vote to take place in January, Steve Scalise of Louisiana to serve as majority leader and Tom Emmer of Minnesota to serve as whip.

Following last week's elections, House Republicans are projected to have a very narrow majority next term, winning 218 seats as of Wednesday with several races still to be called.

McClain said this week that the conference secretary's role is largely one of communicating or "bridging the gap" between the conference and the leadership team, especially as the House welcomes a large class of "freshmen" members next year.

"This conference is a very diverse conference. Not everybody is from a ruby-red district, like my district, so we have to make sure that all the voices are heard at the leadership table," McClain told The Detroit News. "And the number one thing I can do is have an open-door policy, and to make sure it's bottom up, as well as to communicate from the top down, as well."

McClain represents the new 9th District, which covers the Thumb and northern Macomb County. 

With a narrow margin in the House, the challenge for leaders of the divided conference will be to unify the ranks, which range from moderate members who just won swing districts to conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus who are already making demands of McCarthy in terms of changing procedural rules.

McClain, an ally of former President Donald Trump, last week sent a letter to colleagues seeking their support and touting her business experience and legislative record.

She said in an interview her experience on the whip team as a freshman in trying to wrangle votes for particular bills helped her understand that not all districts are alike in terms of messaging and marketing legislation.

"We can't have a one-size-fits-all message. It doesn't work," she said. "We're a very diverse nation. We're at a very diverse conference right now. We have to keep that in mind."

Two other Michigan lawmakers, Reps. Tim Walberg of Tipton and Bill Huizenga of Holland told The Detroit News on Tuesday that they are pursuing the same seat on House Republican Steering Committee, which determines committee assignments. Both are gunning for the regional Midwest seat held by retiring Rep. Fred Upton of St. Joseph.

Walberg also said he has an interest in chairing the House Education and Labor Committee if the committee's current top Republican, Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, doesn't take the gavel.

Foxx has requested a waiver to allow her to chair the panel next Congress to get around the GOP rule that blocks members from serving more than three consecutive terms as chair or ranking member of a committee.

"If she doesn't get it, I'm going for it," Walberg said Tuesday.

A Foxx spokeswoman said Tuesday she is running unopposed for the chair position. The steering committee usually decides who the chairs will be, including whether Foxx will be granted a waiver.

mburke@detroitnews.com