Neutral NRCC is faced with growing number of primaries

Fifteen months before the 2008 general election and six months before the first primary votes are cast, House Republicans are already set for a number of bruising primaries in some of their top targeted districts.

In many cases, a nationally promoted challenger is facing minor opposition that will require moderate attention. But in a number of others, the top GOP candidates have hundreds of thousands of dollars and formidable opponents standing between them and the party’s nomination.

{mosads}The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has a stated policy of not getting involved in primaries, and NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.) said he is sticking to his pledge and is welcoming all comers to run for Congress.
But that approach also has its drawbacks and tightropes.

Contested primaries can pose problems, forcing top candidates to focus attention and resources away from increasingly well-funded incumbents. The committee, meanwhile, lags far behind its Democratic counterpart in fundraising and cash on hand and, for the time being at least, figures to have less money with which to supplement its candidates next November.

Cole also has to deal with promoting his top candidates while sticking to his pledge. A few lower-profile candidates have been critical of his balancing act, while others say he’s done it well.

“I’d say we’re blessed with [these primaries],” said Cole, himself the product of a six-way primary. “Anytime I see multiple Republican candidates, particularly of fine quality, then I think that’s a pretty good sign that there’s a really good opportunity there.”

Multi-candidate primaries have already popped up against Democratic Reps. John Hall and Kirsten Gillibrand in New York, as well as against Reps. Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.), Nancy Boyda (D-Kan.) and Tim Walz (D-Minn.).

Others appear quite possible in districts including those held by Democratic Reps. Melissa Bean (Ill.), Steve Kagen (Wis.),
John Yarmuth (Ky.), Harry Mitchell (Ariz.), and Ciro Rodriguez (Texas).

But perhaps nowhere are these issues more at the fore than in Georgia’s 8th district, where the committee has trumpeted the praises of retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Rick Goddard (R), even as former Rep. Mac Collins (R) mulls a repeat bid.

Last quarter, Collins moved money around in his campaign accounts, causing some to speculate that he is preparing for
another run.

The GOP establishment is lined up firmly behind Goddard, holding fundraisers for him and filling his campaign coffers.
Finally recruited after years of turning aside the party’s entreaties, Goddard has already received thousands from members of the Georgia delegation, including from Sen. Johnny Isakson and Reps. Tom Price and Lynn Westmoreland, as well as $2,500 from Cole’s personal political action committee.

Collins lost to Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.) by less than 1 percent last year and is set to announce his 2008 plans in October. He said the widespread support from his former colleagues for Goddard is “seriously disappointing.”

“The question is: Why they would do that when we had such a good showing in the last campaign and laid all the groundwork for another campaign?” Collins said. “It just hasn’t worked out in the direction that I was hoping it would.”

Asked if he thinks the NRCC is staying neutral in the primary, Collins said: “If you can take them for their word, they are.”

Cole said the committee feels very strongly that Goddard is a top candidate but that all credible candidates have access to the committee’s tools, including research and Candidate School, a seminar for prospective and declared candidates. (The second such session was held last week and featured presidential adviser Karl Rove.)

“Once we think we’ve got a good candidate, we quit recruiting, so to speak,” Cole said. “That doesn’t mean other good candidates won’t come along. … If so, it’ll be up to the Republican voters in that district to sort out.

“We believe in aggressive neutrality — we’ll help anyone.”

But a GOP candidate running against Hall, Iraq war veteran Kieran Michael Lalor, said the NRCC has been favoring for his opponent, businessman Andrew Saul.

“It’s mainly because they look at Andrew Saul as a free ride,” Lalor said. “He’s either going to raise money from his millionaire buddies or he’s going to spend his own money, and the NRCC doesn’t have to kick in.”

Lalor said he takes the fact that he hasn’t been invited to Candidate School as a tacit sign that he’s not the NRCC’s choice for the race.

But Cole said the door is open to Lalor, who admits he hasn’t reached out to the NRCC.

“The phone works both ways, and he’s welcome to call,” Cole said. “A lot of these candidates reach out to us.”

Conversely, Republican Richard Wager, who is taking on NRCC-promoted candidate Sandy Treadwell in New York’s neighboring 20th district, said the committee has been very helpful thus far.

Treadwell and Cole go back many years, from when both were secretaries of state. Wager is one of several other Republicans either in the race or considering it. He raised $180,000 in the second quarter.

“We’ve had conversations with them, e-mails,” Wager said of the NRCC. “They’ve all been very positive.”

Treadwell, like Saul, is wealthy and has garnered the praise of the committee. The winner of the primary will face Gillibrand, who has raised more money than all but four other House members this year.

Wager said a primary helps Republicans in New York because it will help the party figure out in what direction to go in the future. Last election was particularly tough on Northeastern Republicans, including in Wager’s district, where Republican Rep. John Sweeney lost.

In Mahoney’s district, three top candidates are vying for the nomination, while Boyda’s and Walz’s districts both have a pair of top GOP contenders.

Kagen’s opponent from last year, John Gard, appears likely to face a primary challenge this cycle. Cole praised Gard and called him “a particular favorite of mine” but said the committee would be equally welcoming to other Republicans.

And this week, a top NRCC recruit running against Bean, businessman Steve Greenberg, drew a possible primary challenge when business consultant Ken Arnold opened an exploratory committee.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Doug Thornell said “House Republican recruitment failures are compounded when you consider the fact that the few candidates they were able to persuade to carry their water are mired in primaries.”