The DNC, meanwhile, has invested roughly $1.5 million in Virginia to date.
The Republican National Committee does not plan to make any direct cash transfers to Virginia Republicans this fall ahead of the party’s state legislative elections in November, National Review has confirmed.
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.
That summer meeting — on top of the national party’s need to prioritize fundraising for federal races and an expensive presidential election cycle in 2024 — affected how the RNC budgeted for the rest of the year, the source said.
But, privately, some Virginia-based GOP operatives worry about the optics of RNC’s decision not to spend heavily in Virginia, especially after President Joe Biden ordered the Democratic National Committee back in September to pour more than $1 million into the state on behalf of Democratic state legislative candidates.
As the fall elections draw near, Virginia GOP chairman Anderson is playing down concerns that the RNC’s decision not to commit resources to Virginia will doom Republicans’ chances.
“I believe we have the resources required to win,” Anderson told NR in an interview, citing the stunning $15.5 million that Spirit of Virginia has raked in since March. The PAC still has roughly $7 million cash on hand. The Republican State Leadership Committee has also spent roughly $5.5 million this cycle, RSLC spokesman Mason Di Palma confirmed to NR.
“We have a distinct advantage” because of Youngkin’s fundraising prowess, Anderson says, adding that he’s confident the party’s candidates are well equipped to win in November. “Candidate quality matters so much.”
Unlike other spending groups, the RNC can only raise hard dollars. And even though the RNC is not pouring a lump sum of cash directly into the state, the national party is spending tens of thousands of dollars on voter-targeting data in Virginia ahead of Election Day. “The RNC collects absentee data every morning, providing lists of voters who have requested a ballot or already voted absentee or absentee in person,” a person familiar with the matter tells NR. “This is provided to the state party and through them all Republican legislative and local campaigns to better target and understand the election in the critical final 30 days.”
The DNC has invested roughly $1.5 million to date. A host of other Democratic-aligned groups, including the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, have invested heavily in the state to counter Youngkin’s record-smashing fundraising.
“Folks, here in Virginia, the stakes have never been higher. Governor Glenn Youngkin and the extreme Republicans have made it clear that they’re trying to take us back on issues like choice,” Biden said during a private campaign reception in McLean, Va., on September 13, according to a White House read-out.
“Virginia is, to state the obvious, a key battleground state. And I’m committed to leading the charge here,” Biden added. “I’ve authorized the DNC to give the first $1.5 million to Virginia’s coordinated campaign. And because I’m afraid of Senator Warner, I’m going to do more.”
On top of this fall’s state legislative elections, Democratic senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner are up for reelection in 2024 and 2026, respectively.
Democrats have sought to make the race about abortion, to mobilize their voters to the polls. Youngkin’s PAC has responded to that narrative by addressing abortion head-on, unveiling a new $1.4 million ad campaign that paints Democrats as the extremists on the issue, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Youngkin has proposed a 15-week abortion ban that would provide exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.
Early voting in Virginia began in late September. Youngkin’s team is spearheading an effort called Secure Your Vote Virginia, urging Republicans to register early and vote absentee in this fall’s elections. The RNC launched a similar, Bank Your Vote initiative this summer pushing Republicans nationwide to compete with Democrats in the early- and absentee-voting department.
The RNC is not offering direct financial help in most of this year’s off-year elections. But the RNC did notably meet with Kentucky GOP operatives back in December, a person familiar with the matter confirms, after which the RNC gave Kentucky Republicans funding to help them staff up ahead of a competitive gubernatorial election between Democratic governor Andy Beshear and his Republican opponent, Attorney General Daniel Cameron.