FIRST ON FOX: The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) has made it its “top policy priority” to combat Democratic-affiliated groups targeting Republican majorities in state legislatures.
An RSLC memo obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital revealed that the committee is making its “top policy priority” for the 2023-2024 election cycle by defending “our majorities against an overwhelming amount of outside spending by Democrat-affiliated groups.”
“Only 33 seats prevent Democrats from taking back eight legislative chambers in five states, to take control of the majority of state legislatures in the country,” the memo said.
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An RSLC memo obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital revealed that the committee is making its “top policy priority” for the 2023-2024 election cycle by defending “our majorities against an overwhelming amount of outside spending by Democrat-affiliated groups.” (Photo by Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images)
“National Democrats are targeting all of them and have already requested an additional $10 million as they continue to quickly outpace Republicans with financial resources and investments,” the memo continued.
The note noted that in 2022, “state Republicans defied the odds, facing a national liberal spending onslaught and an incredibly challenging political environment to still hold control of an overwhelming majority of state legislatures across the country.”
Additionally, the RSLC noted the net gain of 35 seats in state legislatures and the expansion of GOP power “in numerous states, winning supermajorities in both houses of the Florida Legislature, the Iowa Senate, the North Carolina Senate, Wisconsin Senate, South Carolina House and Montana Senate.”
“We also moved out of the super-minority in both Oregon houses and made gains in the New York Assembly,” the memo said. “Also, we picked up seats in liberal strongholds like Maine, New Mexico and Hawaii.”
Additionally, the RSLC noted the net gain of 35 seats in state legislatures and the expansion of GOP power “in numerous states, winning supermajorities in both houses of the Florida Legislature, the Iowa Senate, the North Carolina Senate, Wisconsin Senate, South Carolina House and Montana Senate.” (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
“In 2023, we’ve already seen state Democrats switch parties and join Republican-led legislatures in Louisiana and North Carolina, giving Republicans a veto-proof supermajority in the Louisiana House and the North Carolina House, bringing our total number of Republican supermajorities to 25. nationally,” he continued.
The RSLC wrote that the 2022 cycle taught them that Republicans need “a great deal of resources to catch up with Democrats’ spending levels” and organizations like “the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the States Project and most forward” that spend hundreds of millions. of dollars
The RSLC also noted the “need to target low-propensity voters early and often by implementing an effective Absentee/Early Voting (AB/EV) political program” and that the maintenance of legislatures controlled by the GOP is “increasingly difficult,” requiring advocacy from state chambers outside of election years.
“While the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and White House have changed hands a total of seven times since 2010, the constant in the conservative movement has been state legislatures. We’ve grown accustomed to strong support in the states. But our complacency is taking us in the wrong direction and is putting Republicans at risk of losing control of majorities in state legislatures for the first time since 2010.”
In 2023, the RSLC will focus on keeping the Virginia state House majority while trying to flip the state Senate, as well as defending the seats won in New Jersey in the last election along with super majorities in Louisiana and Mississippi.
The RSLC is also seeking a supermajority in the Mississippi state House.
The RSLC is looking to use increased outreach to low-propensity GOP voters to flip legislatures in three states, as well as Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. (Google Earth)
For 2024, the RSLC has included six states on its preliminary defense list: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, Texas and the Pennsylvania Senate.
The RSLC is looking to use increased outreach to low-propensity GOP voters to flip the legislatures of three states, Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania.
In addition, the RSLC has put seven liberal stronghold states in its sights for significant gains after the party’s performance in the areas in 2022: Illinois, Maine, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Washington.
“Heading into a crucial election cycle with Joe Biden at the top of the ticket, Democrats will take nothing for granted up and down the ballot,” the note said. “This list remains a preliminary list of goals and is subject to change throughout the election cycle because we take nothing for granted as a 50-state organization.”
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“Democrats have already shown that they are willing to implement a previous strategy and invest larger sums of money at the state level than ever before, so we must be ready to take action anywhere, anytime,” continues the note “While Republicans will be focused on regaining control of the White House, it is our duty to prevent Democrats from taking majorities in legislative chambers across the country.”
“We are the cornerstone of the conservative movement, and with your continued collaboration and support we will be able to defend our majorities and expand the map of state Republicans,” he concludes.
Houston Keene is a political writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Houston.Keene@Fox.com and on Twitter: @HoustonKeene
