{"id":2244040,"date":"2024-05-14T08:07:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-14T12:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rnc-has-few-operatives-on-the-ground-in-swing-states-local-gop-leaders-say\/"},"modified":"2024-05-14T08:14:20","modified_gmt":"2024-05-14T12:14:20","slug":"rnc-has-few-operatives-on-the-ground-in-swing-states-local-gop-leaders-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rnc-has-few-operatives-on-the-ground-in-swing-states-local-gop-leaders-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Local GOP leaders report that the RNC has limited operatives in swing states"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frnc-has-few-operatives-on-the-ground-in-swing-states-local-gop-leaders-say%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2244040&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Republican National Committee (RNC) is reportedly lacking significant on-the-ground operations \u200din crucial swing \u2063states, despite former President Donald \u200cTrump&#8217;s lead over President Joe Biden. Local GOP leaders express optimism for increased RNC involvement as grassroots \u2062organizations focus on enhancing election\u2064 processes. Concerns arise about the RNC&#8217;s current level of engagement, prompting hopes for future support in key battlegrounds like Arizona and Pennsylvania.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<p>The Republican National Committee (RNC) appears to have little to no on-the-ground operations in key battleground states despite former President Donald Trump narrowly leading President Joe Biden, local GOP and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-leaders-of-13-conservative-groups-demand-states-abandon-american-library-association\/\" title=\"13 conservative group leaders demand states abandon American Library Association.\">conservative group leaders<\/a> tell The Federalist. They expressed optimism, however, that the RNC will step up its efforts and suggested it\u2019s \u201ctypical\u201d for the RNC not to have its ground game going until about now.<\/p>\n<p>Grassroots organizations are targeting key states such as Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Texas to improve \u201celection processes at the administrative level well before Election Day,\u201d director Josh Findlay of the Texas Public Policy Foundation\u2019s Elections Protection Project told The Federalist. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-386109445\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-a9c35c1f91255ee63426e287bf9fec84 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-a9c35c1f91255ee63426e287bf9fec84\"><\/div>\n<p>Findlay touted the groups\u2019 \u201chuge successes\u201d throughout battleground states with regard to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/georgia-governor-signs-into-law-sweeping-election-reform-bill-including-voter-id-for-absentee-ballots\/\" title=\"Georgia Governor Signs Into Law Sweeping Election Reform Bill, Including Voter ID for Absentee Ballots\">drop box security<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wisconsin-republicans-introduce-resolution-to-impeach-top-elections-administrator\/\" title=\"Wisconsin GOP proposes resolution to impeach elections chief.\">absentee ballot procedures<\/a>, observer access and absentee processing centers.\u00a0But despite all the work being done on the ground to elect Republicans, the RNC doesn\u2019t seem too involved \u2013 though grassroots leaders are hopeful that won\u2019t be the case for long. <\/p>\n<p>Findlay said he believes RNC Chairman Michael Whatley \u201cwill get the proper infrastructure in place to secure the upcoming election.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have worked with Chairman Michael Whatley extensively in the past, and he knows the weight that party bears in making sure <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wisconsin-voters-to-decide-on-private-funding-of-elections\/\" title=\"Wisconsin residents to vote on private funding for elections\">elections run smoothly<\/a>,\u201d Findlay said, adding that while grassroots \u201cexcel at identifying local election integrity issues and fighting for solutions to those issues,\u201d it\u2019s the political parties that have the most resources to \u201crecruit, train, and shift the large numbers of poll workers and poll watchers needed for election season.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Arizona<\/h2>\n<p>Trump lost Arizona by 10,457 votes in 2020 after winning it in 2016 by 91,234 votes. It\u2019s key to his reelection. But the current on-the-ground effort to ensure a Trump victory rests on the backs of grassroots activists and appears to lack robust national party support. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-e6bccbd4890cedff82d7a9475f9f4b33 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-e6bccbd4890cedff82d7a9475f9f4b33\"><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThere is a very active effort on the ground. We have over 15,000 grassroots activists in the state,\u201d President of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club Scot Mussi told The Federalist. Mussi said the group is focused on get-out-the-vote efforts and outreach to voters, especially Hispanic and faith-based communities. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hammerin-braves-win-1st-ws-crown-since-1995-rout-astros\/\" title=\"Hammerin\u2019 Braves Win 1st WS Crown Since 1995, Rout Astros\">total team effort<\/a> here in Arizona,\u201d Mussi said. \u201cThere are multiple organizations, on the ground here in Arizona, engaged in these efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So far, however, the RNC doesn\u2019t seem to be one of them. Mussi said he hopes the RNC will step up its involvement for the general election, saying he didn\u2019t see a huge presence from the national party in 2016 but \u201cwe\u2019d love to see any increase in engagement from the RNC at this point.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think many swing states can speak to this \u2014 it feels like here in Arizona, the Left is pouring in millions of dollars into Arizona into their own ground game and it doesn\u2019t seem, at least what we\u2019re seeing on the ground, that there\u2019s the same emphasis from a lot of these national groups, and that includes the RNC,\u201d he said. \u201cOur hope is that they come in and they come in big to assist with a lot of these efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-fa1a964181a01707bcc894fffd17fc06 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-fa1a964181a01707bcc894fffd17fc06\"><\/div>\n<p>The Arizona Republican Party did not respond to repeated inquiries from The Federalist nor did the RNC respond to inquiries about their involvement in the state.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pennsylvania<\/h2>\n<p>Trump lost Pennsylvania in 2020 by 81,660 votes after winning the state in 2016 by 44,292. Grassroots activists are gearing up to flip the state again come November. <\/p>\n<p>The Sentinel Action Fund (SAF) is one of those organizations focused on turning out \u201clow-propensity voters\u201d via absentee ballots, early and day-of voting with its year-round operation, SAF President Jessica Anderson told the Federalist.<\/p>\n<p>Anderson explained that SAF \u2014 which is dedicated to winning Senate races in Montana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania but still focusing on electing Republicans down-ballot \u2014 has also teamed up with the Republican State Legislative Committee and Keystone, the super-PAC for Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick.<\/p>\n<p>When asked whether the RNC has been working with SAF in Pennsylvania, Anderson said she wasn\u2019t \u201csure how to answer that since I don\u2019t think their operations are up and running yet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs the RNC kind of gets up their efforts after the changeover of their leadership \u2014 and Lara Trump has been, I think fully embracing all of this \u2014 I have to expect that they will put a robust office in place and then at that point we will work with them,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n<p>When asked if he\u2019s seen anyone from the RNC on the ground locally, Erie County GOP Chairman Tom Eddy told The Federalist \u201cnot here.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The county has long been a bellwether for the presidential race, with the candidate winning the county also winning the general. <\/p>\n<p>During the 2016 race, in which Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/04\/13\/1243882276\/boomerang-county-erie-pennsylvania-trump-biden-swing-state\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">won<\/a> the county by fewer than 2,000 votes, his team set up an office in Erie County that brought in outside resources and had 10-12 people canvassing each Saturday, Eddy told The Federalist. Trump lost the county in 2020 by fewer than 1,500 votes. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d give anything to have a few people on the ground here helping,\u201d Eddy told The Federalist, adding, however, he thinks \u201cthis is typical\u201d for RNC involvement at this point in the game. <\/p>\n<p>Eddy says the RNC usually works with the state party, which in turn works with counties. The Pennsylvania Republican Party did not respond to repeated inquiries from The Federalist but an RNC representative told Eddy they were looking to place three or four staffers in the area starting in mid-May. <\/p>\n<p>Eddy said he had to \u201cgive the Democrats credit \u2026 on the ground here in Erie\u201d for their current canvassing efforts. <\/p>\n<p>The Pennsylvania Democratic Party, in coordination with Biden\u2019s campaign, has set up more than a dozen offices across Pennsylvania, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/penncapital-star.com\/campaigns-elections\/democrats-open-coordinated-campaign-offices-across-pennsylvania\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pennsylvania Capital Star<\/a>. The offices are reportedly set to \u201chost training sessions for volunteers, canvassing kickoffs and volunteer recruitment events.\u201d Democrats have also placed offices in swing counties, like Erie, to reach voters, according to the report. <\/p>\n<p>When asked about their on-the-ground operations in Pennsylvania, the RNC pointed to poll watchers during the primary race. Gates McGavick, a senior adviser to Whatley, said \u201cThe RNC has worked closely with the PA GOP and county parties across Pennsylvania to place trained poll watchers on the ground in each of the Keystone State\u2019s 67 counties for Primary day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>RNC Election Integrity Communications Director Claire Zunk forwarded an RNC press release about its recruiting of primary-day poll watchers and \u201cvolunteer lawyers.\u201d The release also said the RNC \u201cactivated more than 2,200 poll watchers\u201d across the state. The Federalist has inquired for additional information but did not receive a response. The RNC also didn\u2019t give details about what it is doing on the ground<strong> <\/strong>between now and November to increase voter registration, support mail-in ballot initiatives, and increase voter outreach. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">North Carolina<\/h2>\n<p>North Carolina Election Integrity Team President Jim Womack worries his state could swing for Biden: \u201cThe RNC hirings are helpful to some degree, but the real movement in the state, the real groundwork, is done by the activists and activists\u2019 groups across the state.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Womack estimates there are \u201ceasily 75-100\u201d grassroots organizations working statewide to increase \u201cneighborhood level organizational activity,\u201d making North Carolina\u2019s local efforts \u201cone of Trump\u2019s strongest states.\u201d Womack highlighted activist groups unaffiliated with the RNC like Asheville Tea Party, Conservative Coalition of NC, the Liberty Party, and North Carolina Grassroots Government as doing \u201cquality work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While he doesn\u2019t know the RNC\u2019s plans for North Carolina, Womack says he hopes it will be \u201cwell-resourced\u201d since RNC Chairman Whatley comes from the state. In the 2020 contest, the RNC sent regional representatives \u201cthat were like deputy campaign managers.\u201d They gave trainings and distributed campaign materials.<\/p>\n<p>Womack said since Trump was automatically the nominee in the 2020 primary, there wasn\u2019t as big a push so it is difficult to compare to this year. The NCGOP did not respond to a request for comment nor provide any response about their efforts in the state. <\/p>\n<p>On April 19, the RNC <a href=\"https:\/\/gop.com\/press-release\/trump-campaign-and-rnc-unveil-historic-100000-person-strong-election-integrity-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a> the launch of a \u201c100,000 person strong election integrity program\u201d comprised of \u201cvolunteers and attorneys,\u201d but the RNC did not respond when asked by The Federalist how many of those 100,000 people had been recruited so far.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-234e183bf2617530be4e0e541480fd1e fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-234e183bf2617530be4e0e541480fd1e\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">    \t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Local GOP and conservative group leaders informed The Federalist that despite the narrow lead of former President Donald Trump over President Joe Biden in key swing states, the Republican National Committee (RNC) lacks significant on-the-ground operations. They are hopeful that the RNC will boost its efforts, considering it a standard practice for the organization<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":2244041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/26654856008_78accb70f2_k-e1715268141221.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2244040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/26654856008_78accb70f2_k-e1715268141221.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2244040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2244040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2244040\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2244041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2244040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2244040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2244040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}