GOPAC
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| GOPAC | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | 527 group |
| Affiliation: | Republican |
| Website: | Official website |
GOPAC is A 527 group that identifies and supports Republican candidates seeking elected office.
Mission
As of October 2017, the website for GOPAC listed the following mission statement:[1]
| “ | Since 1978, GOPAC has been a force in America because we realize Republicans must champion the ideas that unite voters around a vision of creating jobs, getting government spending under control, making government more effective, and keeping America safe. This is why Republicans turn to GOPAC for coaching and best practices on effective ways to communicate conservative ideas and solutions.[2] | ” |
History
GOPAC was founded in 1979 by Delaware Governor Frank Du Pont in response to Republican failures to overturn Democratic majorities in the 1978 elections. Du Pont's strategy was to build an organization that could train potential candidates and help them get elected. The ultimate goal, according to GOPAC's website, was to recruit and help elect enough Republicans nationwide to make them a governing majority party.[3]
Newt Gingrich (R) became chairman of GOPAC in 1986, leaving the organization in 1995. When Gingrich left GOPAC, The New York Times reported on its place in Republican politics, writing, "Gopac became the centerpiece of what became known as Newt Inc., an interlocking set of entities that came to include a think tank and a college course taught by Mr. Gingrich that was beamed around the country spreading his political gospel."[4] During Gingrich's time at the head of GOPAC, the organization was involved in creating training tapes for Republican candidates and politicians. In 1996, they released a memo, "Language: A Key Mechanism of Control," detailing some of that training. The memo detailed for Republicans what it called "Optimistic Positive Governing words and phrases to help describe your vision for the future of your community (your message) and Contrasting words to help you clearly define the policies and record of your opponent and the Democratic party."[5]
Work
Emerging Leaders program
The Emerging Leaders program began in 2010, and it is designed to train elected Republican officials in state legislatures to take on leadership roles in their legislative chambers. The program selects a certain number of legislators and provides them with GOPAC training sessions for one year.[6]
Candidate training
GOPAC trains candidates for office in methods of campaigning and in messaging. According to the Christian Science Monitor, these trainings came in the form of cassette tapes in the 1980s and 1990s.[7]
Political activity
2018 elections
These were the 17 states that GOPAC said it would invest in the 2017-2018 state legislative elections. Of the 17 states, only Virginia held elections in 2017. The other 16 states held elections in 2018.
These partisan breakdown figures roughly reflect the partisan breakdown of a chamber heading into either the 2017 or 2018 elections. It does not show the partisan breakdown of the chamber following the election. Please see the chamber page for a more precise count.
Last updated February 2018.
| States targeted by GOPAC: 2017-2018 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Senate breakdown | Senate seats up in 2017-2018 | House breakdown | House seats up in 2017-2018 | U.S. House seats |
| Arizona | 17-13 | 30 | 35-25 | 60 | 9 |
| Colorado | 18-17 | 17 | 37-28 | 65 | 7 |
| Connecticut | 18-18 | 36 | 79-72 | 151 | 5 |
| Delaware | 11-10 | 10 | 25-16 | 41 | 1 |
| Florida | 24-15 | 20 | 76-40 | 120 | 27 |
| Georgia | 36-17 | 56 | 116-62 | 180 | 14 |
| Maine | 18-17 | 35 | 74-69 | 151 | 2 |
| Michigan | 27-11 | 38 | 63-47 | 110 | 14 |
| Minnesota | 34-33 | No elections[8] | 76-57 | 134 | 8 |
| Nevada | 10-9 | 11 | 27-14 | 42 | 4 |
| New York | 31-30[9] | 63 | 106-41 | 150 | 27 |
| North Carolina | 35-15 | 50 | 75-45 | 120 | 13 |
| Ohio | 23-9 | 17 | 65-33 | 99 | 16 |
| Pennsylvania | 34-16 | 25 | 121-80 | 203 | 18 |
| Virginia | 21-19 | No elections[10] | 66-34 | 100[11] | 11 |
| Washington | 25-24[12] | 24 | 50-48 | 98 | 10 |
| Wisconsin | 19-13 | 17 | 63-35 | 99 | 8 |
| Total | -- | 449 | -- | 1923 | 194 |
Leadership
As of October 2017, the website for GOPAC listed the following individuals as the organization's leadership:[13][14]
- David Avella, Chairman
- Jessica Curtis, Executive director
- Lauren Castellano, Events manager
- Jacqueline Wasem, Communications director
- Ellen DelCotto, Finance coordinator
- Ashley West, Finance assistant
Legal status
GOPAC is a 527 group. 527 group refers to the IRS section 527 designated nonprofit organization such as a political party, committee, association, or fund operating primarily for the purpose of influencing the election or selection of candidates to political office. Many political action committees and super PAC groups are designated 527 groups.[15] 527 groups can engage in campaign politics with no campaign limits, specifically supporting or attacking candidates, and must disclose donors. A 527 group may not, however, coordinate its activities with any campaign.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'GOPAC'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ GOPAC, "Mission," accessed December 5, 2013
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ GOPAC, "History," accessed December 5, 2013
- ↑ The New York Times, "Gingrich Cuts Ties to Gopac, A Party Coffer," May 4, 1995
- ↑ Information Clearing House, "Language: A Key Mechanism of Control," accessed October 27, 2017
- ↑ GOPAC, Emerging Leaders," archived October 27, 2017
- ↑ Christian Science Monitor, "GOPAC Role in GOP Revolution," December 15, 1995
- ↑ The Minnesota Senate held elections in 2020. Sixty-seven seats were up.
- ↑ As of February 2018, the partisan breakdown of the New York State Senate was 31-30 with two vacancies. One Democrat caucused with the Republicans and eight Democrats were members of the Independent Democratic Conference.
- ↑ The Virginia Senate held elections in 2019. Forty seats were up.
- ↑ The Virginia House held elections in 2017.
- ↑ As of Democrats 1, 2017, the partisan breakdown of the Washington State Senate was 26-23 in favor of Democrats. Republicans held 24 seats because Democrat Tim Sheldon caucused with them.
- ↑ GOPAC, "Chairman's Corner," archived October 27, 2017
- ↑ GOPAC, "Staff," archived October 27, 2017
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Exemption Requirements - Political Organizations," accessed January 12, 2015
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