"Wake up, guys" – gender gap hinders GOP women

Republican men and women are deeply divided over how to cope with the results of a brutal mid-term election that has decimated the ranks of GOP women legislators in the House.

Most Republicans in the House have shown up to now little appetite for autopsy. the 2018 election cycle and the public identification of the root of their hard losses, which were catastrophic among the voters, especially in the suburbs.

But a chorus of Republican women sounded the alarm to face what they view as a crisis, call on party leaders to adopt a more aggressive strategy to reverse the trend. here the next election cycle.

"I encourage our party leaders to seek out and more actively help younger candidates, candidates and color candidates," Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Ileana Carmen Ros-LehtinenFlorida New members 2019 The GOP House returns to Washington after disappointing losses mid-way Dem wins after the other more conservative GOP conference MORE (R -Fla.), Who is retiring. "We need to step up our game, otherwise we would risk seeing the nation as the grandparents' political party."

"Wake up, guys," she added.

Some GOP women even pledge to continue their own missions to bring the candidates back into party arms next year.

Rep. Elise Stefanik Elise Marie StefanikStefanik reprimands NRCC's new president: "I was not asking for permission", GOP lawmakers said the party was not trying to learn from the loss Mid-term Ocasio-Cortez Attacks in Washington Some colleagues, MORE (RN.Y.), who were leading the recruitment efforts for the House's GOP campaign arm this cycle, have make waves this week by announcing their intention to participate in the primary races to help more Republican women to be elected to Congress.

Rep. Tom Emmer Thomas (Tom) Earl EmmerStefanik blames the new NRCC president: "I was not asking for permission" New House GOP campaign chairman outlines challenges for 2020 McCarthy defeats Jordan for Minority leader in 159 -43 vote MORE (R-Minn.), The elected president of the National Committee of Republican Congress (NRCC), called this idea of ​​"mistake".

"NEWSFLASH: I did not ask for permission" Stefanik fired back in a tweet. "I will continue to speak [about] about the GOP's women's crisis level in Congress and I will try to lead and change that by supporting strong GOP candidates through my leadership PAC."

Tensions began to be felt by the general public. the wake of a slow blue wave that has made the House of Democrats for the first time since 2010. And Republican women have suffered a heavy blow, with their ranks going from 23 to 13 years ago. next.

unlike the Democrats in the House, who will see a record 89 women sitting in Congress, nearly seven times the number of Republican women.

"I think Republicans must defend themselves," Rep. ] Liz Cheney Elizabeth (Liz) Lynn CheneyThe bickering on the border walls increases the likelihood of closure of the city center Republicans seek increased funding for the border Countdown to the elections: countdown to the Florida Senate Race | Dem returns to Maine headquarters | New trend 2020 – the "friend-breeder" & # 39; | Advertising war intensifies in Mississippi runoff | Blue Wave beats California GOP MORE (R-Wyo.), Who was recently elected president of the GOP conference, told The Washington Post. "We need more women running for the elections, no doubt."

This year, Republican women faced headwinds against politics. Exit polls suggest that Trump President Donald John TrumpNapolitano: Trump Jr. thinks he will be indicted by Mueller Dems will cry foul at an indefinite race in America's North. China "confident" on new trade deal | GM chief meets lawmakers to calm cuts anger | Huawei's CFO put an end to the unpopularity of MORE especially among women and college graduates in the suburbs, who helped fuel major Democratic gains.

This could be a serious problem for the GOP trying to win voters. and intensify women's recruitment efforts in 2020, when Trump will be at the top of the rankings.

The widening gap between men and women between the two sides has been a source of pain and frustration for Republican women, and in particular for GOP's Stefanik Star, who was up to 15 years old. This year the youngest woman elected to Congress.

Stefanik, 34, has reportedly doubled the number of GOP candidates recruited this year to serve in Congress. But only one woman – the elected representative Carol Miller Carol Devine MillerStefanik, revolts against the new president of the NRCC: "I did not ask for permission" MORE (RW.Va.) – a won his race.

Stefanik reportedly pressured the two male MPs to run for the GOP at a candidates forum last month on their plans to help more Republican women win their races, but she was disappointed by their answers.

I did not really get an answer, "Stefanik told the Washington Post.

House Republicans are reluctant, at least publicly, to diagnose the reasons for their electoral losses and discuss ways to correct the course of events – a stark contrast to 2006 and the 2012 election cycles, although some Republicans point out that the infamous autopsy report of 2012 was largely ignored.

Despite the failures of forty seats, few calls for a radical change of leaders were launched. The majority of GOP conference leaders Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthyThe 12:30 pm hill report – Presented by the United Arab Emirates Embassy – George H.W. Bush is in state | NRCC suffers major hacking | The cybercrime disclosed in NRCC Bush's e-mails was praised for its principles while lawmakers honored it respectfully. (Calif.) And the majority whip Steve Scalise Stephen (Steve) Joseph ScaliseWhoopi Goldberg: I ​​did not say "gun to smoke" out of respect for the guest Steve Scalise Report from The Hill & # 39; s at 12:30 pm – Presented by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates – George HW Bush is in state | NRCC suffers major hacking | Time is running out for Congress GM lobbyists go into full crisis mode after PLUS layoffs, and elected Cheney to replace the representative. Rodgers Cathy McMorris [19659037] Rodgers Cathy McMorris – The Morning's Morning – Presented by T-Mobile – Senate Leaders Called Under the Pelosi Name Seek Support from President Liz Cheney Wins the Post GOP chairman in McCarthy House of Representatives defeats Jordan for minority leader, with 159 votes in favor and 43 votes PLUS [19659006] (Wash.) As conference president.

Few Republicans have shown an interest in publicly speaking about the negative effects of Trump on the GOP position with women.

"I think people know what happened, but some positions, it's hard to say these things," said retired representative Ryan Costello Ryan Anthony CostellloGOP: Lawmakers Say that the party does not try to learn the mid-term losses Pennsylvania New Members 2019 Juan Williams: Trump's hostile takeover of the GOP MORE (R-Pa.), vocal critic of Trump. "The president was on the ballot. The president himself stated that he was on the ballot. "

Some party members believe that an autopsy report would be premature at this stage.

And Emmer, who will take over the reins of the House's GOP campaign arm, challenged the thesis that the Republicans were not proactive in determining what was wrong.

"We are incredibly introspective, we have a long way to go, but we have just started", a- he said, "we are going to conduct a thorough examination of the most important issues for voters that we have not understood."

Emmer also defended the party's efforts to elect women in this cycle , noting that Stefanik had successfully recruited 100 candidates to stand for election and that mega-donors Democrats like Michael Bloomberg have targeted their female occupiers

he said.The NRCC is creating a new program to bring more s of candidates that the line of arrival, and Emmer plans to directly collect the opinion of Republican women in the House to develop the strategy, without involving primary play.

"We need to elect more Elise Stefaniks, plus Liz Cheneys," said Emmer.

Stefanik, who faced a competitive primary race in 2014, is not the only Republican woman to want to intervene in the primaries.

Sarah Chamberlain, President and CEO of the Republican Main Street Partnership, is also committed to getting involved in the primary process earlier and spending a lot on the best recruits.

She argued that the Democrats enjoyed a long-standing, centralized effort to recruit and support women candidates in the form of the EMILY List, created in 1985. Republican organizations that support women candidates do not have the same level of security.

Chamberlain nominated GOP Congress candidate Ashley Nickloes, a military pilot who had lost a seven-member primary in a secure Republican district of Tennessee, as a person who would have benefited from early intervention and

" She was a perfect candidate … I could have passed her on, "Chamberlain said. "I'm not going to leave one on the table anymore."