Republicans are set to defy history

Pollsters counted him out. Pundits never gave him a chance. But while they mocked his election prospects, candidate Donald Trump traveled the country turning out votes to defy the odds in 2016.

The Republican National Committee knows what we’re up against this November. We know we’re facing tough historical trends, and many in the mainstream media have all but called this election a loss for Republicans. But we’ve defied history before, and the Republican Party is in prime position to do it again in 2018.

{mosads}Despite facing a “blue wave,” when Americans headed to the polls to cast their ballots in primary elections, Republicans had record turnout. We saw numbers that were 61 percent higher in West Virginia, 43 percent higher in Indiana, and 48 percent higher in Ohio. That’s no coincidence.

The strong showing is a result of the Republican National Committee’s permanent data-driven ground game, the largest in the party’s history. Our sweeping infrastructure has been years in the making and is key to our 2018 midterm strategy.

Our permanent presence in dozens of states across the country will propel us to defy history come November. Six months out from Election Day, we have more than 300 permanent staff members organized and in place. They are helping us tap into the enthusiasm of grassroots supporters, all of whom are just as excited about President Trump as they were when they first elected him to office.

To ensure we defy history, the Republican National Committee is investing $250 million in our midterm election strategy. This is the largest ground game investment we’ve ever made in any cycle. Our field teams are recruiting new and enthusiastic volunteers for our Republican Leadership Initiative program, a competitive six-week program that trains the next generation of Republican grassroots leaders. These leadership fellows are our on the ground, helping us expand our party’s engagement in communities across the country.

To date, we’ve trained over 13,000 leadership fellows this cycle — far surpassing records we set even during presidential years — and we’ve made over 15 million voter contacts. These numbers speak for themselves, and it’s our permanent infrastructure that has enabled us to capitalize on excitement for President Trump and the Republican Party’s agenda.

Our on the ground efforts are made stronger by the most advanced data and digital operation in politics today. We are connecting with more people than ever before, and a record number of people are engaging with us. We have shattered fundraising records thanks to our dedicated small-dollar online donors, and this has created an even bigger fundraising advantage over our Democratic counterparts.

Just last week, the Republican National Committee announced another recordbreaking fundraising month for April, bringing our total haul to $184.5 million cycle to date. We are far ahead of the Democratic Party by every measure, not only in fundraising but also in the strength of our ground game, voter engagement and activism.

Our supporters know we face a tough fight, but they are ready and driven by a passion for creating a better future for America. This purpose defines the Republican Party and empowers us to defy history in November.

Ronna McDaniel is chairwoman of the Republican National Committee.