FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

David James
djames@rslc.gop

RSLC Releases Third Round of “18 in ’18 Races to Watch”

Latest List Furthers GOP Efforts to Win Challenging Districts While Growing the Party

WASHINGTON (September 27th, 2018) — The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) today released its third “18 in ’18: Races to Watch” list.  Comprised of the RSLC’s Future Majority Project (FMP) and Right Women, Right Now (RWRN) initiatives, these candidates are rising stars who will champion conservative policies while representing the full diversity of the nation. The RSLC’s FMP and RWRN initiatives both aim to identify, defend, recruit, and support new diverse and women candidates and officeholders at the state level.

The RSLC’s “18 in ’18 Races To Watch” lists include new and targeted candidates on the ballot this November for the first time, as well as, Republican elected officials who have already achieved electoral success and are in competitive re-election bids.  The RSLC has released two other lists of “18 in ’18” already this election cycle.

“Republicans at the state level would not be reaching historical highs, without the growing diversity of our party.  The outstanding candidates from the newest ’18 in ‘18’ list represent the best from our Future Majority Project (FMP) and Right Women, Right Now (RWRN) initiatives.  The RSLC has invested over $20 million in these initiatives since 2011, electing 500 new female and diverse office holders in the process,” said Matt Walter, President of the Republican State Leadership Committee.

The Future Majority Project and the Right Women Right Now initiatives were integral parts of the ongoing 2010 REDMAP program which helped flip nearly 1000 state legislative seats, leading the GOP to presently control 67 of 99 statehouse chambers.

On August 30, Karl Rove noted in the Wall Street Journal, “Much of the GOP’s sweeping success at the state level over the past decade has been due to the efforts of the Republican State Leadership Committee. The group aims to raise $50 million this cycle to support state legislative campaign committees and fund key local contests.”  Former Speaker Newt Gingrich also stated recently, “Matt Walter and his team at the RSLC have devastated the Democrats’ farm teams. Democrats lost more than 900 state legislative seats when President Obama was in office.”

The latest list of “18 in ’18 Races to Watch” can be found here: https://rslc.gop/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2018/09/RSLC-18-in-18-Part-3.pdf 

ARIZONA

• Walt Blackman – Arizona Legislative District 6

CALIFORNIA

• Justin Mendes – California Assembly District 32

CONNECTICUT

• State Representative Pam Staneski – Connecticut Senate District 14

FLORIDA

• Elizabeth Fetterhoff – Florida House District 26
• State Representative Jeanette Nuñez – Florida Lieutenant Governor

HAWAII

• Val Okimoto – Hawaii House District 36

IDAHO

• Janice McGeachin – Idaho Lieutenant Governor

INDIANA

• Zaki Ali – Indiana Senate District 25

KANSAS

• Michael Snowden – Kansas House District 56

MASSACHUSETTS

• Senator Dean Tran – Massachusetts Worcester and Middlesex Senate District

MINNESOTA

• Lisa DeMuth – Minnesota House District 13A

NEVADA

• Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske – Nevada Secretary of State

NEVADA

• Jill Dickman – Nevada Assembly District 31
• Tiffany Jones – Nevada Senate District 9

NORTH DAKOTA

• Michelle Strinden – North Dakota House District 41

OKLAHOMA

• Aaron Means – Oklahoma House District 34

OREGON

• Selma Pierce – Oregon House District 20

PENNSYLVANIA

• Wendi Thomas – Pennsylvania House District 178

About the RSLC

The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) is the largest caucus of Republican state leaders in the country and the only national organization whose mission is to elect Republicans to multiple down-ballot, state-level offices. Since 2002, the RSLC has been working to elect candidates to the offices of lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state legislator, the judiciary and other down-ticket races. After Election Night 2017, state-level Republicans maintain 67 of 99 legislative chamber majorities in red, purple and blue states, hold 31 lieutenant governor seats, and control 30 secretaries of state offices. To learn more about the RSLC, please visit www.rslc.gop or follow @RSLC on Twitter.

###