New RNC chairwoman on why the future is female with the GOP
Ronna Romney McDaniel gives her take
One year ago, I began my first day as chairwoman of the Republican National Committee by watching a powerful moment in history: President Donald Trump’s inauguration. I saw the president be sworn into office, and heard him dedicate his day to the American heartland.
Our new president promised an administration that would put the American people first, driven by our nation’s forgotten voices. Inauguration Day, he said, “will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.”
President Trump’s words have defined our purpose at the RNC every single day since.
We’ve reached new heights over the past year, defending the president’s winning agenda and making sure Americans know how his policies will make their lives easier. We’ve highlighted his remarkable impact on our nation’s economy, particularly the more than 1.5 million jobs and 17-year low in unemployment his policies have created.
We’ve promoted President Trump’s rapid deregulation to spur American innovation, his strong America First approach to foreign affairs, and his commitment to our military and national security. We still have so much more ahead.
At the core of the RNC’s approach is a permanent, far-reaching ground game that connects us with our grassroots and builds support for our party.
At the core of the RNC’s approach is a permanent, far-reaching ground game that connects us with our grassroots and builds support for our party.
Our Political Department has expanded our presence nationwide, bringing field staff and 22 state directors to key states in preparation for this year’s midterm elections. Under their leadership, field staff have knocked on nearly 4 million doors and made nearly 8 million phone calls to engage Americans across the country on the issues that matter most to them.
Most recently, our field team built strong public support for the Republican tax cut plan, making nearly 600,000 contacts in target states and holding more than 11,000 one-on-one meetings on the benefits of the bill. President Trump kept his promise to these people when he signed into law tax cuts for the middle-class just before Christmas.
Part of our engagement on the ground is done through our Republican Leadership Initiative (RLI) program, which recruits and trains thousands of volunteers to help us spread our party’s message of empowerment in their communities. We’ve held more than 600 RLI trainings for nearly 5,000 fellows nationwide. These activists will be critical for our victories this year, in 2020 and beyond.
The RNC has also invested $200 million in digital, tech, and data programs since 2013. Our data analytics program allows us to identify voter behavior and predict results with an unprecedented level of accuracy. We’ve modeled 72 billion voter predictions to date, and this is a key part of what helped us win special elections last year in Georgia, Montana, South Carolina, Kansas and Utah.
Winning elections is something we know how to do very well, but our work goes beyond that. We keep our finger on the pulse of America, connecting with the voters President Trump acknowledged throughout his campaign, on Inauguration Day, and from the Oval Office. These Americans finally have a president who hears them, and they know the RNC will stand with him, making sure their concerns are front and center in Washington.
As part of our commitment at the RNC, I’ve traveled nearly 100,000 miles across the country to meet supporters and hard-working Americans. The grassroots’ hope and enthusiasm is palpable; they feel the impact of a healthier economy and stronger borders. They are more empowered than ever to build businesses, care for their families, and get involved in their communities.
Americans are encouraged by the role the RNC plays in supporting the president and his policies. In turn, enthusiasm for President Trump’s agenda has fueled the RNC’s fundraising in 2017, much of which has come from our small-dollar donors. We raised more than $132 million last year, breaking records in nine months of 2017 along the way. Clearly, the grassroots has spoken in support of our party’s message.
This is great news for the Republican Party in rest of this year. As we approach the November midterm elections, we are more prepared than ever to defend our majorities in Congress. Our great candidates, dedicated supporters, and winning message will help us keep tackling the challenges Americans face.
One year ago, as President Trump addressed a joyful crowd gathered on the National Mall, he said: “No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America.” We at the RNC keep this in mind each day. We’re ready for this year’s elections.
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