Republican Governors Association
| Republican Governors Association | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | 527, Political Organization |
| Affiliation: | Republican |
| Top official: | Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Ga.), Chairman |
| Year founded: | 1963 |
| Website: | Official website |
| Connections | |
| •Republican National Convention •Republican Party •National Republican Senatorial Committee •National Republican Congressional Committee •Republican National Committee | |
The Republican Governors Association (RGA) is an IRS-designated 527, political organization that serves as a resource for Republican gubernatorial candidates and elected governors.
Its primary purpose is to help elect Republican governors by providing resources, campaign funds, strategy and voter contact. It also aids Republican governors by helping them to develop and implement policy.[1]
Background
Founded in 1963, the Republican Governors Association (RGA) is a political organization that acts as a resource for both Republican gubernatorial candidates and Republican governors. According to the RGA website, the group works to ensure "we have the resources to make sure our message of competent governance and better opportunity for all is heard loud and clear. "[1]
Leadership
The RGA is led by a group of Republican governors, one of whom is selected to serve as chairman. Each chair serves a one-year term and elections are typically held in November or December each year:[2]
- Brian Kemp (R-Ga.): Chairman
- Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.): Vice Chairman
- Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-Ark.): Executive Committee member
- Kim Reynolds (R-Iowa): Executive Committee member
- Tate Reeves (R-Miss.): Executive Committee member
- Mike Kehoe (R-Mo.): Executive Committee member
- Kevin Stitt (R-Okla.): Executive Committee member
- Bill Lee (R-Tenn.): Executive Committee member
- Glenn Youngkin (R-Va.): Executive Committee member
Work and activities
Electoral activities and influence
The RGA promotes the work of incumbent Republican governors via its digital and social media channels and will also use those platforms to oppose potential Democratic gubernatorial candidates. It also spends in races, airs television advertisements and supports campaigns via its RGA Right Direction PAC. During the 2024 election cycle, the website OpenSecrets found that the RGA Right Direction PAC spent $14 million. [3] The PAC said that it made a "seven figure" investment in the North Carolina governor's race in 2024. [4]
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope. Know of one we missed? Click here to let us know.
Affiliations
Republican Governors Public Policy Committee
The Republican Governors Public Policy Committee (RGPPC) is a 501(c)(4) branch of the RGA. The primary focus of the organization is to generate and monitor conservative policy impacting states. According to the RGPPC website, their mission is as follows:[5]
| “ |
Established in 2003, the RGPPC was formed to promote efficient and responsible government practices through public policies that reduce the tax burdens on Americans, strengthen families, promote economic growth and prosperity, and improve education.[6] |
” |
The group will also advocate and issue communications on policy issues important to its members, such as energy policy. [7]
Finances
The Republican Governors Association (RGA) raised $70.8 million in 2024, according to filings with the Internal Revenue Service compiled by ProPublica. [8]
The following is a breakdown of the Republican Governors Association's (RGA) revenues for the 2020-2025 fiscal years, as reported to the IRS and compiled by ProPublica: [8]
| Annual revenues for the RGA, 2020-2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tax Year | Total Revenue | |
| 2024 | $70.8 million[8] | |
| 2023 | $59.9 million[8] | |
| 2022 | $125.9 million[8] | |
| 2021 | $61.9 million[8] | |
| 2020 | $52.9 million[8] | |
The following is a breakdown of the Republican Governors Association's (RGA) expenses for the 2020-2025 fiscal years, as reported to the IRS and compiled by ProPublica: [8]
| Annual expenses for the RGA, 2020-2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tax Year | Total Expenses | |
| 2024 | $56.9 million[8] | |
| 2023 | $34.1 million[8] | |
| 2022 | $159.2 million[8] | |
| 2021 | $50.6 million[8] | |
| 2020 | $48.8 million[8] | |
Contributions
The following table breaks down the top five contributors to the RGA during the 2024 election cycle, according to Open Secrets:[9]
| Top 5 contributions made to the RGA, 2024 election cycle | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Contribution amount | |
| Citadel LLC | $3,000,000 | |
| Molina Healthcare | $1,000,000 | |
| Blue Cross/Blue Shield | $525,000 | |
| United Healthcare, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, HNTB Corp., Centene Corp., Judicial Crisis Network, CVS Health | $500,000 | |
| Koch Industries, RAI Services Co. | $300,000 | |
Noteworthy events
Return of Steve Wynn's donations
On January 28, 2018, the RGA announced it was severing ties with Steve Wynn and returning $100,000 it had received in the election cycle from the donor. This made it the first major Republican campaign committee to return money after Wynn was removed as finance chairman of the Republican National Committee following sexual misconduct allegations.[10]
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).[11] The Republican Governors Association 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).[12]
Media
Below is a selection of oppositional campaign ads put out or sponsored by the RGA since 2024.
| RGA campaign ads | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Republican Governors Association. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Republican National Committee
- Republican National Convention
- National Republican Senatorial Committee
- National Republican Congressional Committee
External links
- RGA Website
- RGA on Twitter
- RGA on Facebook
- IRS Document Search, search "Republican Governors Association"
- Republican Governors Public Policy Committee
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 RGA, "About," accessed July 22, 2025
- ↑ Republican Governors Association, "RGA Announces 2025 Leadership" , November 20, 2024
- ↑ OpenSecrets , "PAC Profile: RGA Right Direction", accessed July 21, 2025
- ↑ Republican Governors Association, "RGA Right Direction PAC Launches New Ad in North Carolina Gubernatorial Race, “Struggling,” September 17, 2024
- ↑ Republican Governors Public Policy Committee, "About Us," accessed July 21,2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Axios New Orleans , "Gov. Landry among 20 Republican governors demanding Biden deregulate American energy policy," June 4, 2024
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 ProPublica , "Republican Governors Association," accessed July 21, 2025
- ↑ Open Secrets, "Republican Governors Assn," accessed July 21, 2025
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Republican Governors Association to cut all ties with Steve Wynn amid sexual misconduct allegations," January 29, 2018
- ↑ 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 Watch", "Making sense of John Doe II," April 29, 2014
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