Multi-Million Dollar Campaign Targets Vulnerable Democrat Senators
For Immediate Release: Monday, Jan. 9
Contact: Peter Robbio
[email protected]
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The Judicial Crisis Network (JCN) today announced plans for a national campaign to confirm President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court. Coming off of its historic “Let the People Decide” victory in the Garland nomination battle, JCN will engage a comprehensive campaign of paid advertising, earned media, research, grassroots activity, and a coalition enterprise, all adding up to the most robust operation in the history of confirmation battles. JCN and its allies will focus on states where Senate Democrats are vulnerable in 2018, particularly those where Trump won by large margins. JCN spent more than $7 million in its Let the People Decide effort, and it expects to spend at least $10 million to confirm the next justice.
“We are preparing to launch the most robust campaign for a Supreme Court nominee in history and we will force vulnerable Senators up for re-election in 2018 like Joe Donnelly and Claire McCaskill to decide between keeping their Senate seats or following Chuck Schumer’s liberal, obstructionist agenda,” said Carrie Severino, Chief Counsel and Policy Director of the Judicial Crisis Network.
“Any vulnerable Senator who signs up for Schumer’s obstructionist strategy will pay a heavy price in 2018. Exit polls showed that over one fifth of voters said the Supreme Court was a primary reason for their vote and of that large percentage of Americans, Trump won those voters by a resounding 57-40 margin. And he won some of those states by overwhelming margins. The President-elect clearly has a mandate when it comes to the Supreme Court and this effort will ensure that the will of the people prevails,” Severino continued.
The team leading the campaign combines high-level GOP and conservative campaign professionals as well as some of the nation’s top conservative grassroots organizations. They include:
- CRC Public Relations — President Greg Mueller will spearhead communications and media strategy.
- Chris Jankowski — GOP political operative, former Executive Director of the REDMAP project, and widely credited for historic GOP gains in down ballot state races.
- Gary Marx — President, Madison Strategies, Senior Advisor to JCN will focused on building coalition support in the Center Right and key states. Marx is a GOP/conservative grassroots organizer and veteran of numerous political and presidential campaigns.
- DDC/Sara Fagen/Joshua Baca – Fagen is a former WH advisor who worked on the nominations of both Justices Roberts and Alito under President Bush. She and Joshua Baca will lead DDC’s grassroots/grasstops operations in the target states. Joshua Baca, SVP DDC, is former Romney Coalitions Director and Hill staffer. Oversees DDC’s grasstops campaigns & local coalition development.
- Judicial Crisis Network – lead by JCN Chief Counsel, Carrie Severino, JCN will be the lead group focusing on broadcast and digital advertising, as well regional grassroots campaigns in key states.
- Tea Party Patriots — will engage in-state grassroots and local media operations, including distributing activist tool kits, constituent engagement with Senators, street rallies, petition campaigns, and comprehensive digital and social media operations.
- America Rising Squared – Brian Rogers, Executive Director, will lead the enterprise’s research and rapid response operations.
- SBA List – will lead outreach to pro-life activists across the country, with a specific focus on target states. This will include on-ground field operatives in the target states, rallies at Senator’s offices, mobilizing phone campaigns and digital activism.