House Republicans are accelerating efforts to recruit more female candidates as the party looks to claw back some of the suburban districts they lost to Democrats during the midterm election cycle.
The recruitment push comes after Democrats elected a record 35 women to the House last year, many in suburban districts, which analysts saw as a big factor in why the party took over the chamber.
By contrast, Republicans elected only one female lawmaker, Rep. Carol Miller
Carol Devine MillerChamber-endorsed Dems struggle on election night Partial disengagement based on democratic characteristics: A new era of US-China economic relations The Hill's Coronavirus Report: CDC predicts US death toll could reach 145,000 by July 11; Premier President Michael Alkire says more resiliency needed in health supply chain MORE (R-W.V.), while the number of female GOP representatives shrunk from 23 to 13.
Though many of the lost seats were blamed on Trump's low favorability numbers in suburban districts, some members argue the lack of female candidates and the failure to promote policies that appeal to women played a significant role in their loss of the chamber — a misstep they're looking to avoid in 2020.
“The road back to the majority is through the suburbs, and the road through the suburbs is going to be with strong female candidates,” National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Emmer
Thomas (Tom) Earl EmmerHouse GOP celebrates unexpected gains McCarthy faces pushback from anxious Republicans over interview comments 3 congressmen on Air Force One with Trump took commercial flight after president's diagnosis MORE (R-Minn.) told The Hill. “And we're going to have it.”
The NRCC has already spoken to 157 women interested in running in 2020, with 42 having declared their candidacies, according to statistics provided by NRCC Recruitment Chair Rep. Susan Brooks
Susan Wiant BrooksThe year of the Republican woman The Hill's Morning Report - Biden inches closer to victory Republicans hold on to competitive Indiana House seat MORE (R-Ind.).
Emmer added he’s met with a number of potential candidates, including New York State Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, who is running for the Staten Island seat currently occupied by freshman Max Rose
Max RoseDemocratic Rep. Max Rose concedes New York House race McCarthy guarantees GOP will take back House in 2022 Rundown of the House seats Democrats, GOP flipped on Election Day MORE (D).
He also pointed to Iowa state Rep. Ashley Hinson, who has launched a bid against first-term Rep. Abby Finkenauer
Abby Lea FinkenauerIncoming Iowa GOP lawmaker tests positive for coronavirus Rundown of the House seats Democrats, GOP flipped on Election Day The Hill's Morning Report - Biden inches closer to victory MORE (D) in the states’s first district as another candidate to watch out for as the next campaign cycle heats up.
Democrats in 2018 were successful in attracting a wide crop of diverse candidates, including Ilhan Omar
Ilhan OmarPelosi faces caucus divisions in Biden era Record number of Black women elected to Congress in 2020 Six people whose election wins made history MORE (D-Minn.), Lucy McBath
Lucia (Lucy) Kay McBathRecord number of Black women elected to Congress in 2020 McBath wins rematch against Handel in Georgia House race Democrats poised for House gains with boost from Trump-won districts MORE (D-Ga.) and Katie Hill
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Alexandria Ocasio-CortezPelosi faces caucus divisions in Biden era Trump, Pence, Haley top GOP 2024 betting odds at Bovada Ocasio-Cortez tweets displeasure of Manchin after he attacks 'crazy socialist agenda' MORE (D-N.Y.) or Ayanna Pressley
Ayanna PressleyPelosi faces caucus divisions in Biden era Record number of Black women elected to Congress in 2020 'Squad' members give Cori Bush affordable tips on congressional attire: 'Thrifting, renting, and patience' MORE (D-Mass.)
And they successfully painted Republicans as being unfriendly to women while spotlighting issues that especially appeal to suburban moms, like health care.
Democrats are again looking to put Republicans on the defensive in 2020 after a string of GOP legislatures passed a number of actions restricting abortions, including in Alabama where the procedure was banned under almost all circumstances.
It is a lesson that Republicans have absorbed this year, as they look to prove they are a big tent party and look to dispel the notion it’s the party of old white men.
Brooks told The Hill she’s working to draft a diverse crop of candidates that represent a range of backgrounds, experience, and ideologies — going as far as to say she wouldn’t rule out a candidate that supports abortion rights or gay marriage.
“No, I wouldn't say that that is a requirement [being pro-life or pro-traditional marriage], it's not a requirement that I have certainly had,” she said, “and I don't believe that it has been for [Rep.] Elise [Stefanik] (R-N.Y.) as well.”
Stefanik has been making strides to recruit and elect more Republican women to Congress through her leadership political action committee, which is looking to support female candidates in primaries.
Brooks said her focus is also on finding qualified candidates that can win in key battlegrounds, which means candidates who know their district, and have the drive to fundraise and assemble competent teams.
“I wouldn't say there's a demographic, I wouldn't say there is an age group, I wouldn't say even that there is any requirement to have any elected experience,” she said.
“We're really trying to find out more about their roots in the community, their depth of knowledge about their community, their ability, and interest and willingness to fundraise and their ability to kind of put together teams and grassroots efforts.”
Brooks said the process of hunting for recruits has largely consisted of working with delegations from the states and local party apparatuses, and talking to people reaching out to the NRCC expressing an interest in running.
The Indiana Republican added that PACs like Stefanik’s or others like Value in Electing Women (VIEW) PAC and Winning for Women have also been instrumental during the recruiting process, with the organizations referring candidates to the NRCC and vice versa.
Stefanik, who served as the NRCC recruitment chair during the last campaign cycle, is looking to make her impact at the primary level, even as the NRCC maintains a policy of not getting involved at that stage.
Stefanik relaunched her leadership PAC in January, stating that the party has reached a “crisis level of GOP women in Congress.”
The New York Republican — who won a competitive primary race before taking office in 2014 — is hoping her PAC can help candidates strategize during primaries in open races in addition to recruiting them.
“There's a number of candidates who are announcing in Q2. We intend to do an official slate in early fall of our top tier candidates the first round," she told The Hill.
Stefanik mentioned Joan Perry, a pediatrician who's running in her first race and will face off against state Rep. Greg Murphy in the GOP run-off in North Carolina's 3rd District in July. The winner would be widely tipped to win in the heavily Republican district, replacing the late former Rep. Walter Jones
Walter Beaman JonesSupreme Court declines to hear case challenging unlimited super PAC fundraising Experts warn Georgia's new electronic voting machines vulnerable to potential intrusions, malfunctions Georgia restores 22,000 voter registrations after purge MORE.
"You know, we're really excited about the Joan Perry candidacy and the outside support that came in for her,” she told The Hill, adding all the Republican women were supporting the candidate.
“We have 140 women who have reached out to run, that's a historic number and I think it's going to really pay dividends when we get to the general election.”
In addition to recruitment efforts, Rep. Ann Wagner
Ann Louise WagnerDemocrats projected to retain House majority Live updates: Democrats seek to extend House advantage Democrats seek wave to bolster House majority MORE (R-Mo.), who launched the Suburban Caucus earlier this year, is looking to craft and promote legislation on policy topics that resonate with suburban areas and women, including on flexible work time and childcare.
“We have a duty to put together a policy program and issue set, a platform so to speak, that is our contract with the suburbs — something that will support them,” she told The Hill.
“I hope many of the issues should be bipartisan," she added. "But if not, at least we'll be on the record as having put forth legislation that is specific to some of those quality of life, kitchen table, things that are good for their families, their communities in our growing suburbia.”
