GOP Serious About Redistricting [View All]

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Republicans' allies eye state legislatures as redistricting nears

By Chris Cillizza
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 25, 2010


Seeking to capitalize on the excitement among Republican potential donors after Scott Brown's stunning capture of a Senate seat in Massachusetts last week, two independent groups focused on helping the party regain state legislative majorities before next year's nationwide redistricting are significantly ramping up their efforts.

The American Majority Project (AMP) is the new kid on the block, a 527 group -- meaning it is allowed by law to accept unlimited contributions -- formed in recent days with the backing of Republican heavyweights such as former Florida governor Jeb Bush and an advisory board that includes former congressman Robin Hayes (N.C.), former Republican National Committee chairman Mike Duncan and GOP superlawyer Ben Ginsberg.

The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC), which has been around since 2002 to help aid GOP candidates running for state legislatures and other state offices, is getting something of a makeover -- bringing on former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie as its chairman and former National Republican Congressional Committee chairman Tom Reynolds (N.Y.) as its vice chairman.

"Targeting 35 to 40 state legislative races this cycle could translate into 25 to 32 U.S. House seats over the next five cycles," Gillespie said. "It makes a lot of sense to get this right."

Sources familiar with the two groups insist that while their missions are the same, there will be enough room for both in what has been a drastically underserved area with the Republican Party. And, with Republican donors more excited about the party's prospects than they have been in the past several elections, there should be enough cash to go around.

The RSLC, which spent $22 million on state legislative and down-ballot races in 2008, will have a $40 million budget in 2010, Gillespie said. The AMP's budget is also in the tens of millions, according to sources familiar with the planning, although no hard number has been set.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/24/AR2010012402888.html