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:
- 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).
- Spent nearly $1 million in Pennsylvania House races, targeting and winning three of the toughest races in the state (House Districts 39, 54, 130).
- 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.
- Spent $1 million in Michigan working with the Michigan House Republican Campaign Committee and Michigan Republican Party to pick up 20 seats in Michigan.
- Spent $750,000 in Texas as part of an effort that resulted in 22 House pick-ups.
- 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.
- 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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