Defending Main Street, the Super PAC for the Republican Main Street Partnership (RMSP), will more than triple its support for centrist Republican candidates during the 2022 election cycle, pledging to spend at least $25 million in congressional swing districts to take back the Senate and House from Democrat control.
“We are looking for principled candidates who put governing above rhetoric, country above party, and will reach across the aisle to pass legislation that isn’t driven by hyper-partisan voices,” said RMSP CEO Sarah Chamberlain, whose members include more than 60 moderate Republicans serving in Congress.
In 2020, Defending Main Street spent $8 million on critical races across the country through its PAC Defending Main Street, which supported Randy Feenstra in his primary race against incumbent Rep. Steve King in his Iowa congressional primary and then in the general election when he won the seat.
RMSP has released a post-election analysis of the 2020 cycle that lays out its argument for a post-Donald Trump GOP as a party that can harness the frustration of some voters toward him while attracting more suburban and minority voters and bringing back Republicans who have re-registered as Independents.
“We can’t lose a generation of 18-to-21-year-olds who register as Democrats because they’re watching what’s going on and saying they can’t relate to that,” said Chamberlain. “We have to focus on the constituencies that swing House seats and Senate seats. If they leave, we may not get them back.”
RMSP's "Road to Resurgence" report focuses on the factors that will enable Republicans to move forward as a party, starting with a re-emphasis on such traditional GOP bread-and-butter strengths as the economy, foreign policy, and national security.
The report also lays out ways to restore the party's "ethics and moral standing" that RMSP believes has been undermined by extremist messaging and reinforce moderate Republicans' believe in fiscal conservativism, social inclusiveness, and passing legislation on such kitchen-table issues as healthcare (including pandemic-related mental health concerns), family issues, workforce development, the environment and energy (including clean water) and transportation/infrastructure.
Even though Trump lost his re-election bid, many Republicans saw a silver lining in November’s election results as the party narrowed the Democratic House majority with swing-seat wins, demonstrating that disillusioned voters were open to distinguishing between Trump and other Republicans.
Readers interested in supporting the effort to recapture the House and Senate can do so through RMSP’s PAC site and clicking on the Donate button.