This Week in RSLC News: Update on Nevada Recalls, Republican Senate President to Become Lt. Governor in Minnesota, and more

charlie RSLC News, Weekly Roundup

DID YOU KNOW…

With Dean Tran’s victory in Massachusetts last week the Future Majority Project has now helped elect 100 diverse candidates since its founding in 2011. Just this year alone the Future Majority Project and Right Women, Right Now initiatives have supported the election of 11 new Republican state legislators.

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

In an exclusive to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, RSLC President Matt Walter, for the first time, publicly confirmed involvement in the recall movement of three Nevada state Senators. On Friday evening, the finance report for the committee to recall independent state Senator Patricia Farley was filed showing the RSLC as contributing $160,000 to the effort. “We have been observing the irresponsible governance of the progressive liberals in the Nevada Legislature over the course of the session earlier this year and have seen the frustration and heard the outcry from the residents and voters within their district,” Walter said when asked why the RSLC has contributed to the efforts. Walter acknowledged the RSLC has contributed to two other committees who are attempting to recall Democrat state Senators Joyce Woodhouse and Nicole Cannizzaro.

Minnesota Democratic Governor Mark Dayton announced he would be appointing his current Lt. Governor Tina Smith to replace Senator Al Franken upon Franken’s expected resignation. This appointment, according to the Minnesota Constitution, will make Minnesota Republican Senate President Michelle Fischbach the acting lieutenant governor for the remaining portion of Smith’s term. Fischbach has stated she believes she can continue to serve as Senate President while fulfilling the duties of lieutenant governor. Currently, Republicans hold a one-vote majority over Democrats in the Minnesota state Senate.

In Iowa, Republican state Representative Jim Carlin won the special election for Iowa’s 3rd Senate district by a 55-45 margin. Carlin was elected to the state House in 2016 and will serve out the remaining term for the Senate seat which is up again in 2018. Carlin said he will continue to advocate for more business-friendly policies in the state Senate and specifically mentioned tax reform as an area he believes needs to be addressed. Carlin’s victory keeps the Iowa Republican Senate majority at 29 members.

“There are enough signs out there to indicate that, if you have the right candidate and they have sufficient resources to push back, you have a good chance in the overwhelming majority of places,” RSLC President Matt Walter said when asked this week about Republican prospects in the 2018 midterm elections. The article, which appeared in The Hill, also quoted Walter acknowledging the increased spending by national Democratic and progressive groups at the state level as an indicator that Democrats are gearing up to compete in state legislative races throughout the country.

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