MEMO: Biden’s Exit Won’t Change Our Mission
MEMO
TO: Interested Parties
FROM: Dee Duncan, President, Republican State Leadership Committee
DATE: 7-24-24
SUBJECT: Biden’s Exit Won’t Change Our Mission
Introduction
Joe Biden’s abrupt departure from the presidential race and the rapid coronation of Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee by liberal elites in Washington have prompted many of you to reach out with questions on the impact these changes will have on down-ballot races. The Democrats may have swapped their standard bearer, but that shouldn't change how state Republican leaders run their respective races heading into November.
Back in March, the RSLC put out a memo instructing state Republicans to avoid turning their state legislative races into referendums on Joe Biden and instead focus on state-level issues and the results they are delivering for their constituents. This turned out to be sound advice and remains our best way forward. The strategic decisions we have made in recent months allows us to build the infrastructure for success this fall regardless of the changes the Democrats are now scrambling to make.
Staying the Course on Messaging
We have made clear for months that state Republicans will not simply run anti-Biden campaigns and are instead focused on highlighting the solutions they are bringing to their communities that combat the harmful impacts of bad policies coming from Washington. While Biden might be off the ballot, state Democrats will have to continue to defend the Biden-Harris agenda that has led to sky-high inflation, a wide-open border, and dangerous crime in our communities. Polling shows that state Republicans are trusted to handle these issues better than Democrats and we must continue to lean into that advantage.
The Top of the Ticket Change Still Presents Problems for Down Ballot Democrats
Secondly, a Harris nomination won't change how state Democrats will have to own her disastrous record. State Democrats around the country continued to stand by Joe Biden and his Administration’s destructive policies, and those policies are still negatively impacting the American people in the states. In June, DLCC President Heather Williams reiterated state Democrats’ desires to play a “critical part” of telling “the story of Democratic Party values, of how [they] are advancing those, and the story of the president’s agenda.” That means state Democrats have handcuffed themselves to the Biden-Harris agenda and will have to answer for their failures on key issues such as the economy and inflation, illegal immigration and border security, and crime and public safety.
Investments
The third and final thing that a Harris nomination won't change is how our early investments in infrastructure this cycle are positioning us for success. Our crucial and historic investments in robust absentee ballot and early voting programs in states like Michigan and Pennsylvania, alongside our early strategic investments in states nationwide, will continue to be the difference maker in ensuring that Republicans defend GOP majorities, reclaim majorities, and go on offense in blue state strongholds.
We learned from Virginia in 2023 that our model can stave off an onslaught of Democrat spending in increasingly favorable Democrat-leaning districts. All of our candidates in Virginia in 2023 who ran in Biden +9 districts or lower won their respective races. In order to continue to outperform the top of the ticket in 2024, we are going to need all Republicans and our partners to join us in continuing to help implement our program so that we can win more down-ballot elections with razor thin margins.
Conclusion:
Now more than ever, we need to keep our foot on the gas and prevent the Biden-Harris agenda from causing further destruction to our country, and we can’t do it without your help. We must come together and show the American people that the only way we can get this country back on track is if we elect more state Republicans to office this November. We know this will continue to be an uphill battle thanks to the spending we are up against, but with help from supporters like you, we will defeat the Democrats and the disastrous agenda they support.
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