Romney's stake in Tuesday's races

STEELE'S MEMO

Just one year ago, many political pundits had written the epitaph of the Republican Party. They claimed the nation had undergone a fundamental realignment from the center-right of the political spectrum toward the Democrats, and that the GOP had become nothing but a regional party – at best.
Today, Republicans have begun to reestablish the trust of voters on a majority of issues; and, I am proud to say are turning an important corner and are moving forward with strength. As Americans’ opposition to the Democrats’ government-run health care experiment and out-of-control federal spending has continued to grow, President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have managed to pull off an astonishing hat-trick: disappointing Democrats, alienating Independents and energizing Republicans. Voters increasingly believe the Democrats are failing to uphold their promise to create jobs and are instead focusing on health care and “cap and trade” legislation that tries to do too much, too soon and at too high a price.
When I ran for chairman, I pledged that the RNC would be a full partner with states having elections in 2009. I also pledged that the RNC would invest in Republican candidates on the ballot from the courthouse to Congress in every region of the country. I refused to buy into the notion that the Republican Party could not win elections outside of the South. That’s why in 2009 the RNC has spent more than $18 million in races around the country, and that commitment is paying dividends in terms of winning elections and building our Party’s bench for the future.
The RNC has aggressively engaged in a number of state and federal special elections this year in regions such as the Northeast and Southwestern U.S. where the Republican Party must be competitive and win races. Of the special elections held so far this year, Republicans have won 18 out of 29 in states such as Maine, Connecticut, and Delaware. In New Mexico, voters in the heavily Democratic city of Albuquerque recently elected as their mayor a former Republican state representative who campaigned on conservative principles – the first Republican mayor in the city since 1981. The GOP has won the last five special elections in a row, and so far this year has picked-up 6 seats to the Democrats’ zero.
Of course, the RNC is also very active in high-profile elections in Virginia and New Jersey that are on the ballot Nov. 3.
Virginia, which has been strongly trending Democratic in recent years, is an extremely important state for the GOP. Republicans have lost the last two gubernatorial races and the last two U.S. Senate races in Virginia, and President Obama carried Virginia in the 2008 presidential election, the first time a Democrat presidential candidate has carried the state since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. We must bring states like Virginia back into the Republican fold, and the types of monetary and grassroots investments the RNC made there in 2009 are symbolic of the efforts the RNC will employ in other states that swung to the Democrats last cycle but we must win back for our nominee in 2012.
All told, the RNC has invested more than $9.1 million in Virginia this cycle, including contributing significantly to the Republican candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and House of Delegates, as well as the Republican Party of Virginia. The RNC spent $1.5 million on advertising early this summer prior to the conclusion of the Democrat primary to insulate Bob McDonnell from Democrat attack ads. And this fall, the RNC teamed up with the RGA and spent $900,000 for advertisements educating voters about Creigh Deeds’ plans to raise taxes.
But much of the RNC’s effort has focused on voter contact efforts in support of our Republican candidates. There are 39 Victory centers throughout Virginia and the RNC has facilitated more volunteer voter contacts in Virginia this year – 2.5 million – than were done during the 2008 presidential campaign. The RNC’s paid voter contacts in Virginia should exceed 10 million by Nov. 3. The RNC’s goal is to reestablish the GOP’s dominance over Democrats in get-out-the-vote efforts in Virginia. Also, committing the RNC’s resources to direct mail, phone outreach and other voter contact efforts allowed the state party and the McDonnell campaign to focus their resources on paid media.
I am also confident in Chris Christie’s campaign to defeat liberal incumbent Jon Corzine in New Jersey. Corzine is using his considerable personal wealth to fund his campaign while Republican Chris Christie is relying on public matching funds, which limits his campaign expenditures to $10.9 million for the general election. Campaign finance law in New Jersey varies significantly from Virginia, and the RNC was limited in terms of its activities there. However, the RNC is able to invest in party building activities as well as county and local party organizations, and the RNC has done so to support Republican candidates across New Jersey.
New Jersey is a solidly Democratic state where no Republican has been elected to statewide office since 1997, but Chris Christie is running one of the strongest races mounted by a Republican in recent years. The RNC has invested more than $4.1 million in support of all Republicans on the ballot across the state through our Victory program there. The RNC has also helped facilitate more than 2 million volunteer voter contacts in New Jersey through 25 Victory offices set up by the RNC and the state Republican Party. In New Jersey, as in Virginia, the RNC’s paid voter contacts in the state should exceed 10 million by Election Day.
As the Republican National Chairman, it is my job and responsibility to elect Republicans. In the special election in NY-23 the RNC has provided support to the NY state party to retain the seat vacated by former Rep. John McHugh in a district that President Obama carried in 2008. The RNC is assisting Republican candidates in 16 other special elections in 9 states on the ballot Nov. 3, including 10 races for state legislature.
Finally, the RNC’s fundraising this year has been very successful. Dissatisfaction with President Obama’s big-government, over-reaching policies has certainly contributed to this success, but so has the RNC’s ability to engage our donors in a more creative way. In September the RNC raised $8.7 million – a record for an off-year election month –and the RNC’s year-to-date total is nearly $65 million with no debt.
Though there is still much work to be done, with your continued help I am confident the Republican resurgence has begun.