Republican State Leadership Committee
| Republican State Leadership Committee | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | 527 group |
| Top official: | Matt Walter, President |
| Year founded: | 2002 |
| Website: | Official website |
The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) is a national 527 group that aims "to elect down-ballot, state-level Republican officeholders." According to the organization's website, it is "the largest caucus of Republican state leaders in the country."[1]
Background
The RSLC was founded in 2002 in response to increasing competitiveness in down-ballot races. Since its inception, it has grown to be the largest Republican organization that focuses on state-level politics.[1] In 2014, the organization went through several transitions: Ed Gillespie, who had been the group's chairman, resigned his position to run for the U.S. Senate in Virginia, while President Chris Jankowski also stepped down. Politico reported that these staff changes also came amid a split in the group's membership. The Republican Attorneys General Association left the RSLC in January 2014 to become its own group. The site reported, "Republicans familiar with internal tensions at the organization said there was a sense among the party’s attorneys general that they deserved greater independence and financial control in the 2014 cycle and beyond."[2]
After the reorganization in 2014, The Hill described the organization's makeup as: "The group is split into three caucuses — the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association, Republican Secretaries of State Committee, and the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee — as well as two initiatives targeting women and other underrepresented candidates. "[3] That same year, the organization announced a Judicial Fairness Initiative, an effort to support conservative judges up for election.[4] The announcement came following a $650,000 donation to the group Justice for All North Carolina, which aired ads opposing Justice Robin Hudson of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Hudson, a Democrat, defeated two Republicans—Eric Lee Levinson and Jeanette Kathleen Doran—in the May 6 primary and defeated Levinson in the general election as well.[5][6][7]
Leadership
As of July 2025, the following individuals served on the board at RSLC:[1]
- Steve Crisafulli, Chairman
- Christine Toretti, Vice Chair
- Luis Fortuño
- Todd Lamb
- Bill McCollum
- Christopher Rants
- Karl Rove
- Karrin Taylor Robson
- Joe Straus
Work and activities
2024 elections
The RSLC announced it had invested $44 million in state legislative races.[8] The group said it intended to invest in races in legislative races in Arizona, Minnesota, Michigan, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. at the time of the 2024 elections, Republicans controlled both chambers in Arizona, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin. Democrats controlled both chambers in Minnesota and Michigan. Pennsylvania had a divided government. RSLC chair Dee Duncan said, "By investing early and supporting strong Republican candidates, we are able to maximize our funds over the course of the cycle so we can secure decisive victories in November."[9]
2016 elections
During the 2016 election cycle, the RSLC aimed to support Republican candidates in state legislative and judicial races across the country. The group contributed more than $40 million in support of state-level candidates and more than $6.1 million to back judicial candidates.[1][10]
Priorities
State legislative races
In July 2015, the RSLC announced its priority races for the 2016 election cycle. "The RSLC and RLCC will focus heavily on six specific chambers with the most likely path to new Republican majorities in 2016: the Colorado House, Kentucky House, Washington House, Iowa Senate, Minnesota Senate, and New Mexico Senate. Each of these states currently have split chambers – one with a Democrat majority and one with a Republican majority."[11]
According to the press release, the group's priorities included "ending Democrat supermajorities in states with new Republican governors and lieutenant governors" and "actively defending existing Republican majorities."[11]
As a part of the group's state legislative campaign strategy, the RSLC directed more than $40 million toward state-level political action committees, candidate campaigns, and state political parties.[1]
The following table displays the RSLC's targeted state legislative chambers, a selection of the group's largest contributions in each state, and the post-election partisan control:[12][13][14]
| RSLC 2016 targeted state legislative races | ||
|---|---|---|
| Targeted state legislative chamber | Largest 2016 state-level contributions | 2016 election results |
| Colorado House of Representatives | $1.5 million to Colorado Citizens for Accountable Government |  Democrats maintained a majority
|
| Kentucky House of Representatives | $85,000 to Kentuckians for Strong Leadership |  Republicans gained a majority
|
| Washington House of Representatives | $350,000 to The Reagan Fund | Democrats maintained a majority
|
| Iowa State Senate | $495,000 to the Republican Party of Iowa | Republicans gained a majority
|
| Minnesota State Senate | $725,000 to the Minnesota Jobs Coalition | Republicans gained a majority
|
| New Mexico Senate | $375,000 to the Advance New Mexico Now | Democrats maintained a majority
|
Judicial races
Through the group's Judicial Fairness Initiative, the RSLC also contributed to support conservative, state-level judicial candidates across the country. The group targeted state Supreme Court races in Montana, Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.[10][15]
RSLC contributed a total of $6.1 million in support of 2016 judicial candidates, including successful races for seats on the Arkansas Supreme Court, the Ohio Supreme Court, the West Virginia Supreme Court, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court. [10]
In the Arkansas Supreme Court race, the group financed $250,000 worth of ads against Clark Mason, a candidate for an associate justice seat.[16] The group also purchased the domain ArkansasCourtFacts.com as a vehicle for comparing the records of Mason and the RSLC-backed Shawn Womack.[17] Womack and Dan Kemp, the two Arkansas Supreme Court candidates backed by the RSLC, were successfully elected in March 2016.
2015 elections
The RSLC was heavily involved in the state-level races for 2015. According to Townhall, the group targeted races for the Virginia State Senate and for Kentucky governor. RSLC President Matt Walter noted that the November 2015 elections represented "tremendous and historic Republican success at the state level."[18]
2012 elections
The RSLC contributed $977,500 in the 2012 election cycle: $2,500 to candidates, $400,000 to 527 committees, and $500,000 to satellite spending groups.[19] The following table displays the full list of federal campaign contributions made by NSLC in 2012.[19]
| Largest Republican State Leadership Cmte expenditures in 2012[19] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recipient | Total | ||||||
| Crossroads Generation | $500,000 | ||||||
| Real Jobs NC | $300,000 | ||||||
| For Country | $100,000 | ||||||
| Mitt Romney | $2,500 | ||||||
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Finances
The following is a breakdown of contributions received and expenditures made by the RSLC during the 2004 to 2024 election cycles. Note: data comes from the Center for Responsive Politics.[20]
| Year | Total raised | Total spent |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $14,260,421 | $11,151,425 |
| 2022 | $71,841,087 | $71,237,804 |
| 2020 | $63,919,518 | $62,809,398 |
| 2018 | $45,283,573 | $45,626,124 |
| 2016 | $38,297,620 | $38,590,869 |
| 2014 | $38,154,684 | $38,128,105 |
| 2012 | $39,241,598 | $40,657,134 |
| 2010 | $29,504,912 | $29,911,967 |
| 2008 | $19,961,136 | $20,981,193 |
| 2006 | $19,485,650 | $20,003,457 |
| 2004 | $10,762,907 | $10,682,312 |
Noteworthy events
John Doe investigations
Two John Doe investigations, beginning in 2010 and ending in 2015, were launched by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm (D) into the activities of staff and associates of Gov. Scott Walker (R).[21] The Republican State Leadership Committee was one of 29 conservative organizations that were targeted during the course of the second of two John Doe investigations in Wisconsin related to Gov. Scott Walker (R).[22][23]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Republican State Leadership Committee, "What We Do," accessed July 30, 2025 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "about" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Politico, "Powerful GOP group splits apart," January 21, 2014
- ↑ The Hill, "GOP names state campaign leaders for 2016," April 28, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Republican group will focus on judicial races," April 29, 2014
- ↑ Lady Liberty 1885, "The NC Supreme Court Races," April 14, 2014
- ↑ News & Observer, "NC Supreme Court race sees outside money and negative ads," April 29, 2014
- ↑ Justice At Stake.org, "Red Flags for High Spending, Attack Ads in NC Judicial Race," April 28, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "Republicans say they’re getting swamped in state legislatures," October 23, 2024
- ↑ Pluribus News, "Dems, GOP pump millions into legislative elections," accessed September 4, 2024
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Republican State Leadership Committee, "Judicial Fairness Initiative," accessed February 23, 2017
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 RSLC, "RSLC Announces State Legislative Election Targets for 2015-2016," July 30, 2015
- ↑ The Colorado Independent, "The deep-pocketed outside groups that spent millions to influence the race for the state Capitol," December 23, 2016
- ↑ PRWatch, "Republican State Leadership Committee Spends Big to Keep State Houses in the Red," November 8, 2016
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Republican State Leadership Committee - RSLC," accessed February 23, 2017
- ↑ Republican State Leadership Committee, "2015-2016 JFI Activity States," accessed February 23, 2017
- ↑ Arkansas Times, "Mason responds to attacks from Republican State Leadership Committee," February 23, 2016
- ↑ RSLC, "RSLC’s Judicial Fairness Initiative Launches ArkansasCourtFacts.com," February 22, 2016
- ↑ Townhall, "Republican State Leadership Committee: Tremendous And Historic Success At The State Level," November 5, 2015
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedos - ↑ Center for Responsive Politics, "Republican State Leadership Cmte," accessed July 30, 2025
- ↑ United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Milwaukee Division, "Eric O’Keefe, and Wisconsin Club for Growth, Inc.," accessed February 23, 2015
- ↑ Wisconsin Watchdog, "Wall Street Journal: GAB targeted conservative justices in John Doe defense," September 17, 2015
- ↑ Eric O'Keefe v. Francis Schmitz, et al., "Complaint," accessed September 16, 2015
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