As the November elections approach, Republicans are looking to emphasize the importance of building the future of the party. Recently, the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) and the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee’s (NRCC) GOP Pipeline hosted a panel discussion to discuss the joint effort they first launched in 2022.
The GOP pipeline starts in the states. @RSLC is proud to partner with the @NRCC to build majorities in state capitols all the way to the US Capitol. Thank you @JenKiggans @KeanForCongress @millermeeks @lawler4ny for joining us to talk about your time in the State House! pic.twitter.com/dDkxhxiIPk
— Dee Duncan (@DeeDuncan14) January 29, 2024
According to a press release, the effort "formalizes the RSLC’s commitment to investing the resources necessary each cycle to hold the seats of Republican state legislators that the NRCC recruits to run for the U.S House" and "also enhances the partnership between the two committees, as the RSLC continues to engage former state legislators who are serving in the U.S. House to mentor the next generation of state Republicans."
Participating Republican members included former state legislators, including Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY), Jen Kiggans (R-VA), Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA). All members represent districts previously held by Democrats before then, and Lawler, Kiggans, and Kean Jr. all won in the November 2022 midterm elections by unseating Democratic incumbents.
Lawler amd Kiggans also posted about the connection between serving in the state legislature and in Congress.
I was proud to join three great colleagues - @tomkean, @JenKiggans, and @millermeeks - on an @NRCC and @RSLC lunch panel yesterday. Our past experiences as state legislators helped prepare us to win competitive House seats and to govern. As I said on my first day in Congress, one… pic.twitter.com/ncO6LNdJdr
— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) January 30, 2024
Yesterday I spoke to campaign and caucus staff at the @RSLC and @NRCC Majority Makers Breakfast….! The experience and knowledge I gained while serving as a Virginia State Senator in the General Assembly prepared me well to fight for Southeast Virginia in Washington..! I was… pic.twitter.com/9LOaDg88TZ
— Jen Kiggans (@JenKiggans) January 30, 2024
In a statement, RSLC Communications Director Michael Joyce highlighted the priority of the GOP Pipeline. "Working to build a stronger, better future for the Republican Party through the GOP Pipeline is one of the main priorities the RSLC has focused on and will continue to build on," he said. "We are proud to work with the NRCC on this initiative and we will continue to invest the resources necessary to support candidates who will advance the conservative agenda."
The GOP Pipeline is also part of the RSLC’s Right Leaders Network, an initiative first launched in the fall of 2021 as a way to recruit more diverse Republican candidates, including women and minorities.
The importance of the future of the party, especially when it comes to candidate quality, was on display not too long after the panel discussion, with last week's special election in New York's 3rd Congressional District. Rep. Elect Tom Suozzi (D-NY) had previously represented the district but left his seat to launch a primary challenge against Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2022. He placed third in the race. Although now former Republican Rep. George Santos won that race in 2022, he was expelled last December by the Republican-controlled House. Santos has not yet been convicted of any crime, although he is facing numerous charges from the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York. A report had also been released the month before his expulsion by the House Ethics Committee.
Suozzi's win shrinks the Republican majority in the House even further, although according to RealClearPolling, Republicans nevertheless still enjoy a lead of +2.6 on the congressional ballot for the 2024 election.