Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category

Check your local listings to catch RSLC Chairman Ed Gillespie on NBC’s Meet the Press this Sunday.

Alexandria, Va. (February 18, 2011) –After voters rejected their policies of raising taxes, increasing spending and catering to unions, Wisconsin voters overwhelmingly opted for new leadership in the state Assembly and Senate. Wisconsin Democrats, now given a blueprint for a balanced budget, ran from their constituents to Illinois rather than show up and do their jobs.

“While Wisconsin Republicans are making tough decisions and following through on promises to reduce government spending in order to balance the Wisconsin budget, Democrats abdicated their jobs and refused to govern,” said RSLC Chairman Ed Gillespie.

Following the takeover of both the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate, an effort strongly backed by the RSLC, the newly Republican led legislature took up a bill that would reign in government spending on state workers to help balance the state’s budget. Refusing to accept the reality of the Election Day results, Democrat legislators chose special interest fanned union protests and fled to Illinois rather than debate legislation. President Obama has since dispatched his political operation to support the protestors and obstruct the Governor and Legislature from meeting the commitment they made to voters and balance the budget.

“As Governor Walker has said, ‘the bottom line is we’ve got to balance the budget. Millions and millions of taxpayers of the state have a right to be heard.’ His proposals are reasonable, modest and necessary. Democrats in the Senate should show up for work and cast their vote,” Gillespie said.

About the RSLC

The RSLC is the largest caucus of Republican state leaders and the only national organization whose mission is to elect down ballot, state-level Republican office-holders. Since 2002, the RSLC has been working to elect candidates for the office of attorney general, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and state legislator. The RSLC has more than 100,000 donors in all 50 states. The RSLC raised more than $30 million for the 2009-2010 cycle as part of an effort that picked up 20 legislative chambers, six Attorneys General, three Lieutenant Governors and seven Secretaries of State.

Check out Republican State Leadership Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

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Alexandria, Va. (February 7, 2011) – The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) announced today that Chris Jankowski will serve as the Committee’s new President and that the group added former Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and former Ambassador David Wilkins as new board members. Jankowski previously served as Executive Director of the RSLC’s REDistricting MAjority Project, a program that saw the pick-up of nearly 700 legislative seats and 20 legislative chambers across the country.

“Chris was instrumental in the RSLC’s success in 2010 and we are thrilled that he will be leading the RSLC as President heading into an election cycle that will be instrumental to defending and winning even more races for attorney general, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and state legislator,” said RSLC Chairman Ed Gillespie.

As President of the RSLC, Jankowski will manage the day-to-day operations of the committee including overseeing a political operation that has a proven record of winning state-level races across the country since its 2002 inception. In January, current RSLC President Scott Ward announced he would be leaving the RSLC to return to the private practice of law where he will focus on campaign finance law and serve as outside counsel to the RSLC. Ward served as the President of the RSLC since January 2008 and oversaw the successful efforts of the Committee in the 2008 cycle and the 2010 cycle.

In addition to REDMAP, Jankowski played a pivotal role in Virginia’s 2009 landslide election of Governor Bob McDonnell, along with Republican victories for lieutenant governor, attorney general and a net Republican pick-up of six House of Delegates seats.

“Under Chris’s leadership, the RSLC hits the ground running in the 2011 election states and will continue its work with state caucuses, preparing for the 2012 elections and ensuring those states have the resources they need to continue Republican momentum,” said Gillespie.

Gillespie also welcomed two Republican leaders who joined the RSLC Board. Bill McCollum of Florida, former State Attorney General and member of Congress and David Wilkins, former US Ambassador to Canada and former Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives were elected to the Board. “The addition of these two leaders will strengthen our oversight of the Committee’s activities and be a source of great advice and strategy for the RSLC,” Gillespie said.

About the RSLC
The RSLC is the largest caucus of Republican state leaders and the only national organization whose mission is to elect down ballot, state-level Republican office-holders. Since 2002, the RSLC has been working to elect candidates for the office of attorney general, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and state legislator. The RSLC has more than 100,000 donors in all 50 states. The RSLC raised more than $30 million for the 2009-2010 cycle as part of an effort that picked up 20 legislative chambers, six Attorneys General, three Lieutenant Governors and seven Secretaries of State.

Alexandria, Va. (January 14, 2011) – Republican State Leadership Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie issued the following statement after Reince Priebus was named Chairman of the Republican National Committee:

“I congratulate Reince Priebus on being elected by the Republican National Committee as the next Chairman. I am confident he will provide exemplary leadership for the party, prepare and equip the committee to be ready for the 2012 elections and support candidates and their message of smaller government, lower taxes and more freedom.

“On the heels of an election cycle that saw Republicans pick up 20 legislative chambers and win dozens of statewide constitutional offices, I look forward to another successful cycle with new leadership as we grow our majorities and elect more Republicans at all levels of the ballot.”

About the RSLC
The RSLC is the largest caucus of Republican state leaders and the only national organization whose mission is to elect down ballot, state-level Republican office-holders. Since 2002, the RSLC has been working to elect candidates for the office of attorney general, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and state legislator. The RSLC has more than 100,000 donors in all 50 states. The RSLC raised more than $30 million for the 2009-2010 cycle as part of an effort that picked up 20 legislative chambers, six Attorneys General, three Lieutenant Governors and seven Secretaries of State. http://twitter.com/rslc.

Check out Republican State Leadership Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie on CNN’s “State of the Union” this Sunday at 9:30am EST.

To a packed house.

From The Columbian:

Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna predicted Thursday that a multistate challenge to last year’s federal health care reform law could reach the U.S. Supreme Court next year or in 2013, ahead of the scheduled implementation date of the highly contested law.

McKenna, speaking at a packed lunchtime meeting of the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce at the city’s community center, said the legal challenge against a mandate for universal health care coverage turns on the central question of federal authority. “It’s the most important case involving federal power of our lifetime,” the second-term Republican said.

McKenna has come under attack from some Democrats, including Gov. Chris Gregoire, for signing onto a challenge by almost two dozen states to the health care reform law. The attorney general typically represents state officials or agencies, but he is allowed by state law to bring lawsuits independently on behalf of the state’s residents.

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Introduction | Shortly after the 2008 elections, the RSLC began planning for the 2010 election cycle, formulating a strategy to keep or win Republican control of state legislatures with the largest impact on Congressional redistricting. That plan, which was labeled the REDistricting MAjority Project (REDMAP) focused resources on states projected to gain or lose Congressional seats in 2011 based on the most recent Census data.

The Landscape | The 2010 state legislative elections were a referendum on the Democrat approach to the economy and government spending at all levels. In state after state, Democrat Governors and Legislatures responded to the economic crisis by increasing taxes and failing to cut spending, mirroring the approach so aggressively pursued by President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats.

In numerous legislative districts won by President Barack Obama in 2008, voters shifted away from the Democratic incumbents, preferring a strong crop of fresh new Republican candidates.  In Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, for example, there were dozens of House Democrats who voted for larger state budgets and massive tax increases in the midst of a recession.  In each of those states, voters gave control of the House to Republicans.

Twenty legislative bodies which were previously split or under Democratic control are now under Republican control.  This includes key chambers where the RSLC devoted significant resources, including the Michigan House, New York Senate, Ohio House, Pennsylvania House and the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate.

The Execution | In total, the RSLC raised more than $30 million for the 2009-2010 cycle and invested $18 million after Labor Day, alone.  Specifically the RSLC:

1. Spent $1.4 million targeting four New York State Senate seats, winning two and control of the New York State Senate.
2. Spent nearly $1 million in Pennsylvania House races, targeting and winning three of the toughest races in the state (House Districts 39, 54, 130).
3. Spent nearly $1 million in Ohio House races, targeting six seats, five of which were won by Republicans. Notably, President Obama carried five of these six legislative districts in 2008.
4. Spent $1 million in Michigan working with the Michigan House Republican Campaign Committee and Michigan Republican Party to pick up 20 seats.
5. Spent $750,000 in Texas as part of an effort that resulted in 22 House pick-ups.
6. Spent $1.1 million in Wisconsin to take control of the Senate and Assembly, including spending nearly $500,000 to target Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker.  The RSLC was the only group to target Decker who was defeated soundly by Republican Pam Galloway.
7. Committed resources to Colorado (more than $550,000), North Carolina (more than $1.2 million), and Alabama ($1.5 million).
8. The RSLC also invested more than $3 million across a number of other states including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Tennessee, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, Washington, Nevada, New Jersey and Oregon.

The Impact | Election Day 2010 proved to be an even bigger “wave” election, nationally, in addition to REDMAP targeted states. As a result, Republicans will take control of 20 legislative bodies and move one from Democratic control to being evenly divided.  Since Election Day, at least 20 Democrats have changed parties including several in Louisiana, making Republicans the majority party in the House.  There are now 25 states where Republicans hold majorities in both legislative chambers, up from 14.

Newly Republican Majorities

In comparison to past elections, Republicans had more success than either party has seen in modern history. Republicans gained nearly 700 seats on Election Day, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, outperforming the 628-seat Democratic gains in 1974, 472-seat Republican gains of 1994 and more than doubling the 322-seat Democratic gains of 2006.  Before Election Day 2010, Democrats controlled 60 state legislative chambers to the Republicans’ 36.  After the November 2nd elections, Democrats control 40 chambers, Republicans control 55 chambers, two remain tied and one (NE) is unicameral/non-partisan.

Impact on Congressional Redistricting| Due to the Election Day victories, Republicans hold majorities in 10 of the 15 states that will gain or lose U.S. House seats and where the legislature plays a role in redrawing the map.  In the 70 congressional districts that were labeled by National Public Radio as “competitive” in 2010, Republicans now control the redrawing of at least 47 of those districts; Democrats are responsible for 15 and a non-partisan process determines eight.  To put REDMAP’s achievements in historical perspective, the following chart* demonstrates the change in the redistricting situation over the last 30 years.

* Source: Republican National Committee, December 2, 2010

Conservatives now control the house and it’s speaker now predicts many previously thwarted conservative measures will make their way through.

From LJWorld.com:

Get ready for the conservative juggernaut in the Kansas House.

House Republicans, now with a commanding 92-33 advantage, elected leaders Monday to steer the GOP caucus during the 2011 legislative session that starts next month.

House Speaker Mike O’Neal, R-Hutchinson, was re-elected speaker without opposition. He predicted many conservative issues thwarted in recent years by a coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans will now be passed.

Along with a pickup of 16 seats in the House in the last election, Republicans hold a 31-9 advantage in the state Senate, and most importantly, have wrested the governor’s mansion from Democrats and are set to swear in conservative Republican Sam Brownback.

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From theadvertiser.com:

Louisiana Senate President Joel Chaisson has called a special election to fill the District 22 Senate seat previously held by Troy Hebert.

The primary election will be Jan. 22, 2011, with the general election on Feb. 19, 2011. Qualifying will run from 8 a.m. Dec. 15 to 5 p.m. Dec. 17.

Hebert recently resigned to take on the job of the state’s alcohol and tobacco control commissioner.

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