House GOP starts fundraising for vulnerable members

It’s never too early to start raising money.

House Republicans will hold a fundraiser in April to raise funds for the first 10 members of the 2007 Regaining Our Majority Program (ROMP), seven of whom are veterans who nearly lost their seats last November.

Reps. Deborah Pryce (Ohio), Steve Chabot (Ohio), Robin Hayes (N.C.), Heather Wilson (N.M.) and Joe Knollenberg (Mich.) eked out victories last cycle, several in states that turned a cold shoulder to the Republican Party last November. Reps. Jim Gerlach (Pa.), Dave Reichert (Wash.), Jon Porter (Nev.) and Rick Renzi (Ariz.) are also included on the list, which was obtained by The Hill.

Freshman Peter Roskam (Ill.), who narrowly defeated Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth last year to fill the seat vacated by Rep. Henry Hyde (R), is the only freshman member listed.

The Capitol Club fundraiser will be held on April 25 and feature Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) as the special guest, with a minimum contribution of $1,000. Money raised is divided evenly among the participating members.

There are usually four ROMP events in each cycle. The first two raise funds for the most endangered incumbents, while the third allows for members and fundraisers to raise money to go on the offensive. The fourth tends to be a final push to raise money for members in desperate need of campaign funding.

ROMP was created by former Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) and has proved to be a powerful fundraising tool for the GOP.