Karl Rove, GOP Builds Georgia Runoff Slot Machine



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Rove wrote in the note that his committee had increased its initial fundraising goal by about 20%, to nearly $ 43 million in total. This would require the committee to raise around $ 2.4 million per week as the January 5 races approach.

Six comrades senators help achieve increased goal, appearing on state-specific Zoom fundraisers for the joint fundraising committee this week and next, according to a copy of planned events for the fund. Rove is listed on the calendar as appearing at over half a dozen events.

None of Georgia’s campaigns or outside groups have yet filed reports with the Federal Election Commission detailing their activity since the November election, so the overall picture of fundraising remains unclear, and the joint committee Fundraising is only part of the total fundraising effort for both campaigns. . But Democrats across the country have raked in record amounts for the 2020 election – and, so far, Democratic campaigns have far outnumbered Republicans on television, according to AdImpact data.

Democrat Jon Ossoff, who faces Perdue, and Raphael Warnock, who challenges Loeffler in the special election, have teamed up to spend more than the two Republicans on TV, from $ 40 million to $ 19.5 million since the November 3, according to AdImpact data. Both Democrats have also more booked on the air for the last five weeks of the race so far. Groups outside the GOP have made significant investments to match or exceed total democratic spending. But the countryside wins a lot better rates with TV channels, which makes more valuable dollars.

Globally, past and future advertising spend in both races has already exceeded $ 300 million, and both races are likely to be among the most expensive Senate contests in history, even in just two months.

“The Democrats will do whatever they can and the Republicans will do what they can to match them. It is a legitimate titanic struggle, ”said the former House President Newt Gingrich, who represented a district in the Atlanta area during his time in Congress.

Perdue and Loeffler will show up at a major fundraiser Thursday at the Atlanta Braves baseball stadium, according to three people familiar with the event. An invitation obtained by POLITICO also lists GOP Senators Mike Crapo of Idaho, Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott of South Carolina, and Todd Young of Indiana, the president of the NRSC, as special guests for Thursday’s fundraiser. .

Senator Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) And Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts would appear at a Zoom in fundraiser Thursday, confirmed a spokesperson for Sasse. A Zoom fundraiser next On Monday, Iowa Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley will appear together, according to a copy of the planned Georgia Battleground Fund events.

According to the memo, the fund has already sent $ 11 million to both campaigns and $ 15 million to the NRSC, which has spent a lot on coordinated announcements, independent spending announcements and resources for the vast ground game.

Rove’s memo says the joint fundraising committee has more than 400 consolidators, with levels ranging from those who have helped raise $ 50,000 to several who have helped raise more than $ 1 million.

“Let’s all increase the pressure for the three weeks left before Christmas!” he wrote.

Young, the president of the NRSC, and Senator Rick Scott of Florida, the new president for the 2022 cycle, co-headlining an event in Jacksonville next week, according to the schedule. Scott is also participating in a Zoom virtual fundraiser on Friday for the Joint Fundraising Committee, with GOP executive Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming and Larry Kudlow, the president’s chief economic adviser, according to a copy of ‘an invitation. Barrasso is holding a second fundraiser that day for Loeffler’s campaign, according to a person familiar with the event.

“Everyone is singing from the same score, which is encouraging,” said a Republican working on the second round, requesting anonymity to discuss the party’s efforts.

In addition to the hard dollars for the campaigns and the committee, outside groups have already invested significant sums in the second round. Senate Leadership Fund and American Crossroads, two groups led by allies of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have already spent or reserved $ 80 million combined for the races. Their Democratic counterparts, The Georgia Way and Georgia Honor, have so far invested nearly $ 17 million. Democratic groups are buy ad time each week and have not yet reserved a total amount for all campaigns.

“The amount of money entering Georgia’s political system is unprecedented, and everyone is on everyone’s bridge,” said Scott Reed, a veteran GOP agent.

In addition to fueling massive ad spend, fundraising helps the GOP inject resources into its ground game in an effort to win over voters, even as the party grapples with an intra-partisan feud that, some say could deter some of the president’s supporters and hinder participation efforts. Democrats have launched their own campaign to vote on the pitch, returning to door knocking with care to dismiss their constituents.

Rove acknowledged the Democratic efforts in his memo, but said it “takes time to scale up: we’ve got a jump on them and we’re expecting more volunteers” after President Donald Trump turns up. is heading to the state for a rally this weekend. So far, the party has polled 540,000 households with more than 848,000 voters targeted, according to the note.

“This is an uphill battle that requires everyone to be on deck to make sure Senators Perdue and Loeffler have the financial resources they need to win,” said Jesse Hunt, an NRSC spokesperson. , in a press release. “The Democrats are going to throw every dollar they have at us and we appreciate the amazing leadership team that helps our team compete.”

Former Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), Who narrowly lost the 2014 Senate primary to Perdue, said there was a point of “diminishing returns” on ad spend with the state fully saturated with ads. But he said there were always other avenues where fundraising was beneficial, including multiple contacts with potential voters.

“You can’t saturate the playground with volunteers. Having paid staff to go out and do some of that street walking, you can go through it all day, ”Kingston said. “It’s not really a persuasion campaign anymore. It’s getting out the vote. “

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