As Results Continue to Finalize, They Indicate Strong Showing Where The Republican State Leadership Committee Was Involved

ALEXANDRIA, VA – As outstanding results continue to come in from across the country, they continue to show that Republicans made history this week by surpassing Democrats’ gains in the post-Watergate 1974 election and more than doubling their 2006 gains.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, “Republicans gained at least 680 seats on Tuesday” outperforming the 628-seat Democratic gains in 1974, the 472-seat Republican gains of 1994 and more than double the 322-seat Democratic gains of 2006.  In addition, the NCSL reports “Republicans now hold about 3,890, or 53 percent, of the total state legislative seats in America, the most seats in the GOP column since 1928.”

“As we analyze these results and the state legislative gains, it becomes very apparent that Democrats cannot expect to recover anytime soon from this wave that swept them from office.  This is not simply another cycle where some seats went back and forth and will soon move back the other way.  This election doubled the Democrats’ 2006 performance and the next round of redistricting is likely to further cement these results,” observed RSLC Chairman Ed Gillespie.

More than a year ago the RSLC begin planning for the 2010 election cycle, designing a strategy to maximize impact on Congressional redistricting. That plan called for focusing resources on states projected to gain or lose Congressional seats based on the most recent Census data. The RSLC devoted resources to these states and won complete victories in the Michigan House, Ohio House, Pennsylvania House and the Wisconsin House and Senate.  The New York Senate is still to be determined, but appears likely to be a Republican pick-up as well.

Specifically the RSLC:

1. Spent $1.4 million targeting four New York State Senate seats, winning two and potentially controlling the New York State Senate (GOP currently ahead in enough seats to gain control, but recounts are expected).
2. Spent nearly $1 million in Pennsylvania House races, targeting and winning three of the toughest races in the state (House Districts 39, 54, 130).
3. Spent nearly $1 million in Ohio House races, targeting six seats, five of which were won by Republicans. Additionally, five of these six legislative districts were carried by President Obama in 2008.
4. Spent $1 million in Michigan working with the Michigan House Republican Campaign Committee and Michigan Republican Party to pick up 20 seats in Michigan.
5. Spent $750,000 in Texas as part of an effort that resulted in 22 House pick-ups.
6. Spent $1.5 million in Wisconsin to take control of the Senate and Assembly, including spending $500,000 to target Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker.  The RSLC was the only group to target Decker who was defeated soundly by Republican Pam Galloway.
7. Committed resources to Colorado (over $550,000), North Carolina (over $1.2 million), and Alabama ($1.5 million).

The RSLC also invested more than $3 million across a number of other states including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Tennessee, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, Washington, Nevada, New Jersey and Oregon.  In

total, the RSLC raised more than $30 million for the 2009-2010 cycle, spending $18 million after Labor Day alone.

About the RSLC
The RSLC is the largest caucus of Republican state leaders and the only national organization whose mission is to elect down ballot, state-level Republican office-holders.  Since 2002, the RSLC has been working to elect candidates for the office of attorney general, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and state legislator.  The RSLC has more than 100,000 donors in all 50 states. 

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From Nashville Scene:

In this dopey election season with the blowout governor’s race, we actually are witnessing something historic: the probable end of the competitive two-party political system in Tennessee.

This troubling development for democracy will come as a shock to many voters after next week’s elections. That’s because, in one of the worst political malpractices ever committed, no one is telling them about it.

Rather than talking about the need for choice in elections — and warning about the crazy stuff Republicans will do if given free rein — Tennessee Democrats stubbornly have stuck to their playbook of campaigns past (as dreadfully unsuccessful as it has been). That is, they have masqueraded as Republicans — not really Democrats at all, but God-fearing, Nancy Pelosi-hating good ol’ boys just like their opponents.

Read the Rest…

From Wall Street Journal:

When U.S. voters go to the polls next week, there’s a lot more at stake than just who controls Congress next year.

The outcome could also decide who holds power in the House of Representatives–and maybe even the White House–over the next decade.

The reason? Legislatures all across the nation will redraw the boundaries of congressional seats based on the 2010 Census, as required every 10 years by the U.S. Constitution. The party that wins more governor races and state legislatures will gain the upper hand in the remapping process.

Read the Rest…

From the Journal Sentinel.

A group dedicated to electing Republican state lawmakers has booked $318,150 in ad time in the backyard of Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker (D-Wausau). …

The RSLC ads started running on Wednesday and they are scheduled through November at a cost of $109,000 on WAOW-TV in Wausau, station sales coordinator Tracy King said. In addition, WJFW-TV in Rhinelander has an undisclosed amount of ads from the committee scheduled from now into November, general sales manager Pete Marquardt said. Another station, WSAW-TV in Wausau, didn’t release its numbers.

The RSLC has already targeted the Wisconsin Senate as one of four state legislative bodies it is counting on winning back from Democrats around the country.”