While it might not be on everyone’s radar yet, Republicans are less than a month away from a major election that could shape the landscape in 2024 and have a profound impact on the party’s future fortunes.
Virginia is one of the few states that holds its state-wide elections on off years, and the balance of its General Assembly there hangs in the balance. Gov. Glenn Youngkin has been working non-stop to secure a majority, both to deliver tangible conservative wins and to redefine the narrative surrounding more recent GOP losses.
Unfortunately, according to a new report, the Republican National Committee doesn’t seem to be interested in helping with that cause.
Virginia Republican Party chairman Rich Anderson met in person with senior RNC staffers in D.C. on Monday to request that the party pour money into the state to help Governor Glenn Youngkin maintain the party’s narrow grip on the house of delegates and flip the state senate, a source familiar with the matter told NR. But senior staffers at the RNC denied Anderson’s request.
The RNC staffers reminded Anderson of a separate meeting earlier this summer, when Dave Rexrode — who heads Youngkin’s political-action committee, Spirit of Virginia — reportedly told senior RNC officials that, at that point, the national party did not need to spend money in Virginia.
Newsflash to the RNC, but it’s not the summer anymore. Things can change over the course of several months, and Virginia has become a must-win battleground. The DNC and other Democrat organizations are making a late push in the state, dumping millions into various races.
If Republicans lose, it will further affirm the concerning results of recent special elections, where Democrats have far overperformed and gained ground. It should be clear that all the feel-good polling in the world doesn’t matter if the Democratic Party keeps winning, and right now, the GOP has a prime opportunity to put an end to that left-wing momentum and rescramble electoral assumptions on a national level. Winning in Virginia would represent a major practical and psychological blow to the Democrats, and just as importantly, it would prove that Republicans have learned how to win again.
Given that, why in the world is the RNC turning down a direct request from the Virginia Republican Party for more funding? If this isn’t an election the RNC can be expected to put money into, then what is the point of the RNC existing? I understand the excuse is that the budget has already been set, but this is the kind of situation where you shuffle funds around to meet the need. A national party that isn’t nimble and able to adjust to what comes is one that is destined to lose.
Again, a loss in Virginia would be catastrophic for the GOP, and the RNC seemingly not putting its best foot forward is only going to lead to more questions about its leadership and strategy. No election is more important than the next one, and the next one happens less than a month from now. Republicans have to take it seriously and get their heads in the game because as things stand, it looks like they are going to get caught with their pants down. Again.
