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WASHINGTON (AP) – Republicans fear that a corporate backlash sparked by the murderous insurgency on Capitol Hill will prevent a vital flow of election cash, complicating the party’s prospects of retaking the Senate in the next election.
The GOP is already facing a tough Senate map in 2022, when 14 Democratic seats and 20 Republicans are up for election. That includes at least two open seats that Republicans will defend due to the retirements of the GOP Senators. Pat Toomey from Pennsylvania and Richard Burr from North Carolina.
But some in the group say the problem may be bigger than the map. Eight Republican Senators voted to reject Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden, even after the Capitol was sacked by a crowd of Donald Trump supporters who were urged by the president to prevent Congress from certifying Biden’s victory . Five people died in the chaos, including a Capitol Hill police officer.
Recruitments have been swift, with more than a dozen corporate giants – including AT&T, Nike, Comcast, Dow, Marriott, Walmart and Verizon – pledging to deny donations to Republican lawmakers who voted to reject the result. elections in Arizona or Pennsylvania. One of those lawmakers, Florida Senator Rick Scott, is the new chairman of the National Republican Senate Committee, a position that makes him the public face of Republican Senate fundraising efforts.
“That’s the crux of the matter: is it a storm going to blow, or is … (Biden’s) Electoral College certification a scarlet ‘A’? said Republican donor Dan Eberhart, who has contributed at least $ 115,000 to Republican Senate efforts in recent years.
Lost contributions are not inherently disastrous. Political action committees controlled by corporations and industry groups are limited to donating $ 5,000 per year to a candidate, a part of the typical fundraising for most Senate candidates.
But two top Republican strategists involved in Senate races say the cumulative effect of corporate decisions could have a bigger impact.
The two strategists, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal party deliberations, say companies that have suspended political donations are also sending a powerful signal to their executives, board members and employees about from which they should donate. And with Scott heading the NRSC, it could affect the committee’s cash flow, they said.
Adding to concerns, other pillars of GOP fundraising – including the American Chamber of Commerce, the National Rifle Association and groups linked to the Koch brothers – can no longer count on solid financial support.
The NRA said on Friday it had filed for bankruptcy after years of overspending and insider trading by senior executives. The Chamber of Commerce, which angered some Republicans when it recently started donating to Democrats, announced this week that it will withhold contributions from some Republicans for their actions. And the Koch Network also announced that it would take a look at who it was talking to after the insurgency, as the Wall Street Journal first reported.
“There are members who, by their actions, will have lost the support of the American Chamber of Commerce,” Neil Bradley, director of chamber policy, said this week. “Our PAC will continue to support candidates who demonstrate this type of commitment to governing and democratic standards and our priorities.”
Even more worryingly, one of the most influential Republican megadonors, Sheldon Adelson, has died in recent days. This puts more pressure on the NRSC and the Senate’s main Republican outside group, the Senate Leadership Fund, to cover the difference.
Even before last week’s violence, Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri sparked widespread anger for leading efforts to challenge Biden’s victory. Since the attack on Capitol Hill, the two have come under even harsher criticism from influential editorial boards and donors, including calls for resignations. Both are considered real candidates for the White House for 2024.
Then there’s Scott, a wealthy businessman and former governor of Florida. He also voted to oppose Biden’s victory.
“Daily reminder, Senate Republicans have chosen one of the few senators who supported the great lie AFTER death and destruction in the Capitol to be their political leader,” tweeted former Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat who was ousted by Hawley. “Rick Scott is responsible for the organization that tries to elect R’s.”
Scott’s new post as NRSC chairman is widely seen as a prelude to a potential run in 2024 and one that will put him in close contact with a nationwide network of the Republican Party’s biggest donors.
Scott posted a video message on Wednesday after taking over the NRSC that was heavy on his biography and light on his plan to help Republicans win. This angered some Republicans, who believe Scott took over the NRSC to help build a nationwide network of donors for an expected presidential candidacy, according to three Republican strategists.
“I won four elections statewide. All the races were close. In the process, I raised a lot of money and spent my own fortune, ”Scott said in the video. “I can say it with confidence: I will never ask a potential donor to contribute more than what I have already given.”
In a statement, Chris Hartline, spokesperson for the NRSC and assistant to the senator, said Scott was the party’s “best fundraiser” and the committee had “no interest in engaging in consulting nonsense. from DC who have no idea what they’re talking about. “
“Senator Scott has made it clear that if people want higher taxes, more regulation, bigger government and nationalized health care, they should feel free to give to Democrats,” Hartline said.
Some say it’s too early to tell if the corporate reaction will really hurt Republicans. They note that with the elections that have just been held, it is a period when there is generally little fundraising activity. And some are convinced that as Washington comes under Unified Democratic control, corporate groups will once again find common cause with Republicans.
“Much of this talk is premature and short-sighted,” said Scott Reed, a longtime Republican strategist. “A re-regulation mob is taking control of Congress and the White House. It’s a decision many will regret in the middle of summer.
The eight GOP Senators who voted in favor of objections to the Electoral College tally were Cruz, Hawley, Scott, Cindy Hyde Smith of Mississippi, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming.
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Associated Press writer Alan Fram contributed to this report.
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