Capitol Hill

NRCA's political action committee, ROOFPAC, had an excellent performance for the 2004 election cycle. The bottom line shows 57 of the 64 candidates for federal office to whose campaigns ROOFPAC contributed won, which translates to an 89 percent win rate.

This performance is more impressive considering many of the races ROOFPAC invested in were labeled toss-ups by the experts. For example, ROOFPAC contributed $5,000 to President Bush's campaign, the maximum amount permitted under campaign finance law.

Other races in this category include former Congressman John Thune's (R) defeat of incumbent Sen. Tom Daschle (D) in South Dakota and Congressman Richard Burr's (R) victory over former Clinton administration chief of staff Erskine Bowles (D) for the open Senate seat in North Carolina.

Thune, Burr, DeMint

Thune's challenge to Daschle was the most high-profile race in the United States behind that for the White House. (For more information, see "Election update," July issue, page 18.) Just two years earlier, Thune ran against South Dakota's other senator, Tim Johnson (D), and lost by a mere 524 votes. But in 2004, he reversed that outcome and beat Daschle by 4,535 votes—51 percent to 49 percent—making Daschle the first Senate leader to lose a re-election bid since 1952.

To encourage support for Thune, NRCA and 19 other business lobbying groups formed "Team Thune" to raise $500,000 for him. In conjunction with this effort, Thune was the featured guest at a ROOFPAC reception and dinner on July 14 during NRCA's Midyear Meetings in Chicago.

NRCA also participated in "Team Burr" to help him raise the funds needed to compete with the independently wealthy Bowles, who had the resources to self-fund his campaign. And NRCA joined other business lobbying groups to form a PAC fund-raising steering committee for Congressman Jim DeMint (R) in his successful race for the open Senate seat in South Carolina.

Volunteer work

In addition to ROOFPAC's support of pro-business candidates, NRCA took part in volunteer programs in key states. NRCA Executive Vice President Bill Good and I participated in the National Republican Senatorial Committee's (NRSC) Special Teams, a joint committee formed by NRSC and state party committees in six states targeted by NRSC but not competitive at the presidential level. State party victory programs in Special Teams were Alaska, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Washington.

Good and I were given the opportunity to select South Dakota for our shifts. Good worked in Sioux Falls from Oct. 22-25, and I was in Brookings from Oct. 25-29. Tasks included distributing literature door-to-door, making telephone calls to potential voters, assembling yard signs and delivering campaign materials.

Led by Senate Republican Conference Chairman Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), Senate Republican Conference Vice Chairwoman Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) and NRSC Chairman George Allen (R-Va.), Special Teams was a factor in Republicans gaining four new Senate seats. NRCA and others who supported this effort were recognized at an exclusive reception with newly elected Republican senators and the Republican leadership on Nov. 18.

At the presidential level, NRCA Director of Public Affairs Elisa Brewer and NRCA Director of Federal Affairs R. Craig Silvertooth participated in the Republican National Committee's volunteer program. Brewer was made a team leader in Florida, and she and Silvertooth worked in the Sarasota area from Oct. 28-Nov. 2. As a result of a successful effort to turn out voters, Bush carried Florida 52 percent to 47 percent.

Get out the vote

As it has done for previous elections, NRCA mailed get-out-the-vote postcards to members in states with ROOFPAC-targeted senate races. This year, postcards went to Georgia for Congressman Johnny Isakson (R); Kentucky for Sen. Jim Bunning (R); Louisiana for Congressman David Vitter (R); Missouri for Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond (R); North Carolina for Congressman Burr (R); South Carolina for Congressman DeMint (R); and South Dakota for Thune (R). All won their respective Senate races.

Conclusion

On Nov. 2, ROOFPAC's financial support helped re-elect President Bush and pick up four Republican Senate seats. NRCA volunteer activity and get-out-the-vote postcards were integral to victories in key states.

Craig S. Brightup is NRCA's vice president of government relations.