U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik's political action committee is supporting 11 Republican women candidates for Congress, including two in New York. 

Stefanik, R-Schuylerville announced the first round of endorsements by E-PAC, the group she formed to support GOP women candidates. The PAC backed Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, who is running for the 11th Congressional District seat in New York, and Chele Farley, a one-time U.S. Senate candidate who is vying for the GOP nomination in New York's 18th district. 

The 11 women are part of E-PAC's "Rising Star" endorsements. To be eligible for the PAC's support, they needed to raise at least $250,000 within their first full fundraising quarter as a candidate, have a campaign team and "the ability to prove a path to victory." 

More endorsements will be announced next year, according to a news release. 

"E-PAC's mission is to recruit and support a formidable group of Republican women running for Congress in 2020, and these candidates have demonstrated their strength early on in their races," Stefanik said in a statement. "I worked with each of these candidates to ensure they are building strong, competitive campaigns, and I'm proud to endorse them today." 

Some of the other notable candidates being endorsed by E-PAC include Karen Handel, who is seeking the Republican nomination in Georgia's 6th Congressional District. Handel served in Congress from 2017 through 2018 after winning a special election. She lost her re-election bid to Democratic candidate Lucy McBath in November 2018. 

E-PAC also endorsed Amanda Makki, a Republican who is seeking to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist in Florida's 13th district. Makki, an attorney, assisted the Army general counsel at the Pentagon during President George W. Bush's administration. 

Stefanik's PAC also announced 18 Republican women candidates have been added to its "Women to Watch" list. The number of candidates on that list will continue to grow throughout the 2020 election cycle, according to a news release.