The GOPAC Newsletter

News of Interest

Colorado Republican Rep. Ken Buck

won't run for re-election

In a video announcing his retirement, Buck criticized the GOP for focusing
on 'self-serving lies'

Fox News | Houston Keene

November 1, 2023

Colorado Republican Rep. Ken Buck won't run for re-election to the U.S.
House in 2024, he announced Wednesday.

In a video to constituents, Buck criticized the GOP for what he called the
"insidious narratives" that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, and
prosecutions following amounted to weaponization of the Justice Department.
[1]Read more

Gov. Pritzker's abortion rights group

spends $15 million in Ohio, Virginia, and Nevada to fight 'extremism at
every level'

Think Big America's contribution of $25,000 each to four state Senate
Democratic candidates in Virginia, and an additional $150,000 to the
state's Democratic Party, comes ahead of a pivotal Nov. 7 election that may
reshape abortion restrictions there.

Chicago Sun Times | Tina Sfondeles

November 1, 2023

Gov. J.B. Pritzker's newly created nonprofit to combat anti-abortion
efforts has already contributed $1.5 million to the movement, including a
share in the next big abortion rights battleground state: Virginia.

Think Big America's contribution of $25,000 each to four state Senate
Democratic candidates in Virginia, and an additional $150,000 to the state
Democratic party, comes ahead of a pivotal Nov. 7 election that may reshape
abortion restrictions in the state.

While Pritzker's group is aimed at helping states fight their own battles,
abortion ballot questions will also likely boost Democratic turnout in next
year's presidential election. [2]Read more

WG Economy: The Road To Solving Our Debt

Crisis Runs Through Health Care

WG Economy | David Winston

November 1, 2023

In last week's WG Economy, we talked about how health care is re-emerging
as a difficult cost of living expense in household budgets. In addition to
the personal impact of health care costs, the impact is increasingly felt
at the federal level. As a driver of the nation's debt, healthcare costs
pose a threat to the economy and entitlement programs. Congressional
Republicans are looking for spending cuts, but they should start looking at
the impact of chronic diseases and conditions as major areas for finding
savings as well as positive improvements for the workforce and quality of
life. [3]WG Economy, November 1, 2023.pdf

Longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Kay Granger of Fort Worth won't seek
reelection

The chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee has held her seat since
1997. She was the first Republican woman

from Texas elected to the U.S. House.

The Texas Tribune | Patrick Svitek

October 31, 2023

U.S Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, announced Wednesday she will not seek
reelection after nearly three decades in Congress.

"Serving my community has been the greatest honor, and I have always fought
to improve the lives of my constituents," Granger said in a statement.

Granger, 80, chairs the powerful House Appropriations Committee and has
represented Texas' 12th Congressional District since 1997. [4]Read more

Legislative spending tops $40 million,

with clear edge for Democrats

Around $12 million in spending has come

from a variety of outside groups

New Jersey Globe | Joey Fox

October 31, 2023

Spending on New Jersey legislative races has exceeded $40 million, with a
significant majority of that spending being used to aid Democrats retain
their legislative majorities in next week's election, according to an
analysis released today by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement
Commission (ELEC).

In total, Democratic candidates have spent $22,179,422, while Republican
candidates have spent $8,498,992. Democrats also have a 3-to-1 advantage in
cash-on-hand for the home stretch of the campaign, $13,458,880 to
$4,457,190. (ELEC's analysis covers raising and spending through October
24, the end of the most recent filing period; some money might also be
double-counted in cases where cash was transferred from one campaign
account to another.) [5]Read more

Poll: Trump skipping GOP debates doesn't

concern most Iowa Republicans

NBC News | Meet the Press Blog | Mark Murray

October 31, 2023

A majority of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers - 57% - say former
President Donald Trump skipping GOP presidential debates doesn't matter to
them, according to new results from the latest NBC News/DesMoines
Register/Mediacom poll.

By contrast, 42% of likely GOP caucusgoers believe Trump should participate
in at least one debate before the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses.

These numbers come as Trump is expected to skip the third GOP primary
debate, which NBC News will host on Nov. 8, after not attending either of
the first two Republican presidential debates, either. [6]Read more

As election day approaches, Pa. Republicans change tune on mail-in
balloting

The chair of the Pa. Republican Party says even former president Donald
Trump, a longtime opponent of mail-in balloting, has come around.

NBC Philadelphia | Hayden Mitman & Lauren Mayk

October 31, 2023

For years, Pennsylvania Republicans have pushed against mail-in ballots
being used in elections -- even seeing a challenge to mail-in ballots
thrown out of court earlier this year -- but, the party is singing a
different tune in the run-up to the Nov. 7 elections.

."After last year's experience, where the mail-in ballots just overwhelmed
our votes at the polls, our party has really wrapped around this and is
taking it on very strongly," Lawrence Tabas, chairman of the Pennsylvania
Republican Party, told NBC10's Lauren Mayk in the most recent episode of
her Battleground Politics podcast.

Republican candidates across the state took losses across the board in
recent elections, with Democrats flipping 12 House Districts along with
winning key seats in the U.S. Senate and in the Governor's office. [7]Read
more

Utility clerk appointed to Legislature

as GOP House member

Rep. Gov. Jim Justice has appointed a city administrative clerk from
central West Virginia to the state Legislature

The Associated Press

October 31, 2023

A city administrative clerk from central West Virginia has been appointed
to the state Legislature, Republican Gov. Jim Justice announced Tuesday.

Erica J. Moore, a Roane County Republican who works as a city of Spencer
utility clerk, will represent the 15th District in the state House of
Delegates serving Roane and Wirt counties.

Moore will serve the remainder of the term vacated by former Del. Riley
Keaton, who announced earlier this month he was departing to take a state
government job in the Department of Health and Human Services. Keaton, who
was the GOP's assistant majority whip in the House, had served in the
Legislature since 2020. There's currently just over a year remaining of
Keaton's term. [8]Read more

Battle for control of Virginia Legislature may hinge on a state senate race
with independent streak

Redistricting has mobilized voters and shifted the political landscape,
offering opportunities for new leaders to emerge - and for new control of
the General Assembly.

WTOP News | The Associated Press

October 30, 2023

A race that could determine control of Virginia's Legislature will not be a
standard battle between a Democrat and a Republican but also features a
wild-card independent candidate with a history of electoral success who
happens to be a former stripper.

Oh, and then there's the write-in campaign of a right-wing restauranteur
who specializes in grilled cheese sandwiches. [9]Read more

Not just Jeff Landry. Louisiana Legislature will also take a hard turn to
the right.

'We can't undo everything John Bel did, but we're going to try'

Lousiana Illuminator | Julie O'Donoghue

October 30, 2023

In 2015, when Republican U.S. Sen. David Vitter was the early favorite to
win the governor's race, then-Rep. Cameron Henry was considered the chosen
candidate for Louisiana House Speaker.

But Democrat John Bel Edwards beat Vitter in an upset election, and Henry's
hopes for the position were dashed. The House ended up selecting more
moderate Taylor Barras, a Democrat-turned-Republican from New Iberia, to be
speaker - in part because centrist House Republicans deemed Henry too
conservative.

Eight years later though, Henry is all but assured to ascend to one of the
top jobs in the Louisiana Legislature. Now a state senator, the Metairie
Republican is presumed to be the chamber's next president. No other
candidate is running for the job, and Henry is closely aligned with
incoming governor Jeff Landry. [10]Read more

House Republicans aim to pay for Israel aid

with cuts to IRS funds

NPR | Rachel Treisman

October 31, 2023

After three weeks without a speaker, the House is back in business and
putting aid to Israel at the top of its to-do list.

On the same day House Speaker Mike Johnson took office last week, the
Republican-led House passed a resolution declaring solidarity with Israel
and pledging to give its government the funding needed to defeat Hamas.

Now they've introduced a bill aiming to do just that - but not without
controversy.

The bill would send $14.3 billion to Israel without addressing funding
requests for the war in Ukraine. Johnson's new bill would pay for the
spending with $14.5 billion in cuts to the long-understaffed Internal
Revenue Service. [11]Read more

House Republican seeks to change motion-to-vacate rule that brought down
McCarthy

CBS News | Caitlin Yilek

October 30, 2023

A House Republican lawmaker has moved to make it harder to oust the House
Speaker, weeks after Rep. Kevin McCarthy was forced out of the role earlier
this month in a historic vote.

On Monday, Rep. Max Miller of Ohio introduced a resolution to change the
threshold needed to bring a vote of no confidence in the House speaker,
known as a motion to vacate the chair. Miller's resolution would require
the support of at least 112 members from either the majority or the
minority party to force a no-confidence vote.

"After being paralyzed for three weeks, one thing is crystal clear: We
cannot be beholden to the whims and personal grudges of a handful of
people. Americans want us to work hard to advance commonsense, conservative
politics, not play petty politics," Miller said in a statement. "Changing
this rule is a simple step toward accomplishing that goal and keeping the
House on track." [12]Read more

Moore to face Carl in GOP primary

after Alabama lines drawn

Court ruling led to redrawing 2nd District

to boost Black voters' influence

Roll Call | Mary Ellen McIntire

October 30, 2023

Rep. Barry Moore will challenge fellow GOP Rep. Jerry Carl in Alabama's 1st
District next year.

Shana Teehan, Moore's chief of staff, confirmed that Moore planned to seek
reelection in the 1st District after a court-ordered redraw of the state
map moved his hometown of Enterprise from the 2nd District he now
represents.

A federal court earlier this month ordered the state to use a new map for
the 2024 elections, following years of litigation over the map drawn for
the 2022 cycle. The Supreme Court found that the prior map violated the
Voting Rights Act and denied opportunities to Black voters to elect
candidates of their choice.

The new map gives Democrats a chance to pick up a second seat in Alabama,
joining Rep. Terri Sewell, currently the state's only Democratic member of
Congress. Joe Biden in 2020 won the new 2nd District by 13 percentage
points, whereas Biden lost the existing 2nd District by 29 points. [13]Read
more

WG Discussion Points:

Three Things House Republicans Should Know

WG Discussion Points | David Winston

October 27, 2023

The House of Representatives finally has a new Speaker, and Republicans are
ready to start afresh with one year to go until the election. The past
month of chaos has done some damage to Republicans. As they move forward,
here are three things they should know.
1. Hit to the Congressional GOP Brand Image:
2. Slippage on economic issue handling.
3. Challenges with independents.

[14]WG Discussion Points, October 27, 2023.pdf

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