Sabrina Hancock: Chief of staff, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas)

Sabrina Hancock, the 29-year-old chief of staff to Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), says one of her proudest moments in the role was also among her most challenging.

It was January 2023 and the House was entangled in one of the most tumultuous Speakership elections in history. At the same time, Hancock was transitioning into the top spot in the prominent conservative’s office.

“Our chief was transitioning into the whip’s office. He was already over there, and then I was here, and obviously we had to work very much so together to get through the whole Speaker’s race,” said Hancock, who had previously served as Roy’s legislative director.

Roy was among the group of Republicans who voted against former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in a historic, multiballot race, before eventually backing the former majority leader in exchange for a list of concessions.

“Getting to the end of the Speaker’s race, and securing some necessary changes around the Hill was probably one of the proudest days I had,” Hancock said. “It wasn’t getting Kevin McCarthy elected or anything like that. It was never about Kevin McCarthy.”

Reflecting on her work on the legislative side of Roy’s office, Hancock remembered another proud moment: helping craft the Texas border plan that preceded H.R. 2, House Republicans’ flagship border bill.

Her past roles include serving under former House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), a stint as legislative assistant with then-Rep. Ron DeSantis’s (R-Fla.) office, and working as a clerk for the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee under former Judiciary Chair Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), where she received what she described as “a crash course” in border security and immigration policy and was able to further build her network.

Her biggest lesson learned while working in Congress? A person’s network can be their “greatest resource,” Hancock said, and work ethic can yield big results.

“Our office tends to put in a little bit more elbow grease, and I think we’re able to move the needle a little bit more because of that.”