User:TreyCranfield/Sandbox

Trey Cranfield
Chair of the Republican National Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office February 1, 2021
Deputy	Brett Cawthorn
Preceded by	Jakob Ainsley
Senate Minority Leader
Incumbent
Assumed office February 1, 2021
Preceded by	Selina Meyer
Chair of the Senate Republican Conference
Incumbent
Assumed office February 1, 2021
Preceded by	Edwin House
Senate Majority Whip
In office January 26, 2021 – February 1, 2021
Leader	Selina Meyer
Preceded by	Rachel Harper
Succeeded by	Office vacant
United States Senator from Kentucky
Incumbent
Assumed office January 14, 2021 Serving with Rachel Harper
Preceded by	Malcom Morrison
Acting United States Secretary of Defense
In office January 1, 2021 – January 14, 2021
President	Benjamin Bryant
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Nick Jackson (acting)
Personal details
Born	Trey Michael Cranfield (2003-04-03) April 3, 2003 Paoli, Indiana
Citizenship	United States
Political party	Republican (2021-present)
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Residence(s)	Paoli, Indiana Washington, D.C.
Alma mater	Stanford University (B.S) George Washington University (Ph.D.)
Signature

Trey Michael Cranfield is an American politician serving as the senior United States Senator from Kentucky, a seat he was first elected to in mid-January 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the acting United States secretary of defense for 13 days under president Benjamin Bryant, resigning following his election to the Senate. From January 26 to February 1, 2021, Cranfield served as the Senate Majority Whip, and upon the mass resignations of members of congress on February 1, including Majority Leader Selina Meyer, Cranfield assumed the roles of Chair of the Republican National Committee, Senate Republican Conference, and the Senate Minority Leader. In the span of a few hours, Cranfield was the only member of the Senate not caucusing with the Reform Party led by Edwin House.

Early Life

Trey Michael Cranfield was born on April 3, 2003 in Jasper, Indiana. Although, he has and currently lives in Paoli, IN.

Cranfield attended elementary school at Throop Elementary, graduating with academic honors, winning the honor roll every year. He also received the Presidential Award for Academic Achievement.

After graduating elementary school in good fashion, he attended Paoli Jr. Sr. High School. He was the Secretary of the Paoli Jr. Sr. High School NJHS program, and the Vice President of the 9th grade class (freshman class).

Cranfield is also in the Pride of Paoli band program, one of the top notch programs in the state of Indiana. The band has won 15 ISSMA Championship titles, 6 runner-ups, and has been in the finals 34 times. The program is led by new band director, Benjamin Werne.

Acting Secretary of Defense

On January 1, 2021 President Benjamin Bryant announced he would be nominating Cranfield to serve as the secretary of defense, and until his pending Senate confirmation commenced, would be serving in the position in an acting capacity. Shortly after he took office, Cranfield announced he would be challenging his fellow cabinet official Rick Fitzpatrick in the district three Senate Race, where Cranfield was considered a narrow favorite. Cranfield won the election with 59% of the vote to Fiztpatricks' 40%, considered as an over-performance on Cranfield's behalf, and took office on January 14, 2021, immediately resigning from his position as acting secretary. Cranfield was succeeded by Nick Jackson on January 26, 2021.

U.S. Senate

Elections

January 2021

Main article: January 2021 United States Senate special election in district three

In January 2021 Cranfield challenged secretary Rick Fitzpatrick in the district three Senate special election, contested after the resignation of Senator Dave Schneier. Cranfield ran uncontested in the Republican primary, and faced Fitzpatrick in the general election, in which he defeated the latter by nearly twenty percent in what many pundits believed to be a Republican over-performance in the midst of a dwindling majority. Cranfield took office a day later on January 14, 2021.

Tenure

Upon being sworn in, Cranfield remained mostly silent, until he began to gain traction within the Republican Caucus' establishment, eventually culminating in the ousting of Majority Whip Steven Harper, who two weeks prior left the caucus due to a dispute with Majority Leader Selina Meyer and vice president Jakob Ainsley. On January 26, 2021, Cranfield became the Republican whip with unanimous consent from the caucus, and immediately assumed the office of Senate Majority Whip, the third highest-ranking position in the Senate.

On January 27, 2021, Cranfield authored a bipartisan bill with Senator Kenneth Allen of Michigan to authorize emergency powers to President Benjamin Bryant after China directed the striking of a United States Naval vessel with a torpedo, killing 43 servicemembers and injuring hundreds more. The bill passed both chambers of congress and was signed by President Bryant on January 28.

On February 1, 2021, Cranfield introduced a motion to hold a snap election for President pro tempore of the Senate, in an attempt to remove Harry Bennett, the incumbent officeholder. The motion to hold the election failed, in which the motion to reconsider was laid on the table and remained open for 24 hours by vice president Jakob Ainsley. After the vote, the Independent Senators consisting of Kenneth Allen, Rachel S. Harper, Edwin House, and others formed the Reform Party. Soon thereafter, the Vice President, Speaker of the House, and Senate Minority Leader all left the community. Cranfield assumed the positions of Chairman of the Republican Party and the Senate Minority Leader.

On February 3, 2021, a day after Senator Harry Bennett shockingly aligned with Cranfield in the Senate Republican Caucus, Cranfield and Bennett both voted in favor of S.R. 235 in a Senate Judiciary Committee vote on the rules of impeachment proceedings against vice president Jakob Ainsley, who was impeached almost unanimously by the United States House of Representatives on February 1, 2021.

On February 4, 2021, Ainsley was convicted by the United States Senate, conducted by a private ballot at the request of Cranfield. Upon his conviction, the office was vacant, and Cranfield was floated as a possible option as a replacement for vice president of the United States under President Bryant.

Electoral History

District Three U.S. Senator (Class II) Special Election, January 2021

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Republican	✓ Trey Cranfield	1,145,991	59.59%	+7.17
	Democratic	Rick Fitzpatrick	774,993	40.30%	−13.16
	Write-in		1,848	0.09%
Turnout			1,922,832	100%	−1.04
	Republican gain from Democratic		Swing	6.47%