Rep. Martha Roby (R – AL02) has made quite a splash in her first term in Washington representing the folks of Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. “Leadership loves her,” an aide to a prominent Congressman told Yellowhammer on Thursday morning. “[Speaker] Boehner has said before that she was the most impressive Freshman during orientation, and he believes she has a huge future ahead of her on the national stage.”
It now looks like Roby may have the opportunity to carve out a leadership role of her own.
Sources have indicated that she is being encouraged to run for Vice Chairman of the GOP Conference. This could be a huge win for the Alabama delegation and the 2nd District for obvious reasons, but to illustrate how big of a deal it could be, just consider the tight-knit leadership structure in the House: There’s the Speaker (Boehner), the Majority Leader (Cantor), the Majority Whip (McCarthy), then Conference Chair and Vice Chair.
Roby would likely be running against Rep. Lynn Jenkins of Kansas, but after consulting with numerous offices on the Hill, it appears that Roby would have a good shot at winning the post. “She’s well-positioned for this,” one of Roby’s fellow Freshman Congressman told Yellowhammer.
The Romney campaign has taken notice as well.
Rep. Roby will be headlining a Romney rally this weekend in North Carolina. From what Yellowhammer can gather, that will make Roby the only Alabama politician to stump for Romney in a battleground state. “The Romney folks love her appeal to younger voters,” another Hill Staffer told Yellowhammer by email.
In only two years, Roby has built a following as a rising star in Washington and a constituent-focused workhorse in the 2nd District. All members of the Alabama delegation have carved out a role for themselves in D.C.: some bring home the bacon, some are the state’s voice with the administration and government agencies, some are conservative stalwarts. But Roby’s rise in the party’s rank-and-file could be a tremendous asset to Alabama, especially as the GOP looks to maintain and grow majorities in Congress.
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