Club for Growth

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Current President Pat Toomey
Current President Pat Toomey
Founder Stephen Moore
Founder Stephen Moore
An ad mailed by Club for Growth to residents of Rhode Island in early 2006 criticizing incumbent Senator Lincoln Chafee.
An ad mailed by Club for Growth to residents of Rhode Island in early 2006 criticizing incumbent Senator Lincoln Chafee.

The Club for Growth is a 501(c)(4) political organization and an affiliated political action committee that raises money for candidates who support a low-tax and limited-government agenda. The group claims over 40,000 members.

In the 2002 Congressional races, 17 out of 19 candidates endorsed by the organization's PAC won. It also endorsed Mark Sanford in the South Carolina gubernatorial Republican primary. He defeated Lt. Gov. Bob Peeler.

In 2004, the Club for Growth's PAC caused a stir within the Republican Party by endorsing and heavily supporting U.S. Representative Pat Toomey, who challenged incumbent Senator Arlen Specter in the Republican primary in Pennsylvania. The organization was reported to have collected contributions totaling over $934,000 for Toomey. It also spent $1 million on its own independent television advertising campaign on Toomey's behalf. Toomey barely lost the race against Specter, 51%-49%, due in large part to President Bush, the RNC, and Sen. Santorum all supporting the incumbent. Afterwards, Toomey accepted his current position as President of the Club for Growth.

The club invented the "RINO Watch" list to monitor "Republican office holders around the nation who have advanced egregious anti-growth, anti-freedom or anti-free market policies." (RINO is an acronym for Republican In Name Only.) The list has focused on Republicans who voted against tax changes and budget cuts supported by the Club.

In addition, the Club for Growth also makes independent expenditures encouraging certain moderate Republicans to vote more conservatively (i.e., running ads against Senators George Voinovich of Ohio, Olympia Snowe of Maine, and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island after these Senators objected to certain aspects of President Bush's tax cuts).

On September 19, 2005, the Federal Election Commission filed suit against the Club for Growth for violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act for failing to register as a political action committee in the 2000, 2002, and 2004 congressional elections.[1] In September, 2007 the Club for Growth agreed to pay $350,000 in civil penalties. The agreement, if approved by a federal judge, would mark the end of the lawsuit.

Contents

[edit] 2006 Elections

After a good deal of electoral success in 2004, the Club continued its policy of supporting candidates conforming to its ideology for federal office, especially during contested primaries. Freshmen U.S. Congressmen Adrian M. Smith (R-NE), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Bill Sali (R-ID), and Tim Walberg (R-MI) all won their heavily contested primary elections in large part because of the Club's involvement. In fact, Rep. Walberg defeated moderate incumbent Republican Congressman Joe Schwarz in the August 2006 Michigan primary. Schwarz was backed by Pres. Bush, Sen. McCain, the NRCC, and almost all of the state's Republican establishment. The Club for Growth criticized Schwarz for a number of liberal views on fiscal issues including his votes against the elimination of earmarks in appropriations bills and his support of higher taxes while in the Michigan Legislature. He was the only incumbent Republican congressman defeated in a primary that year.

The Club was also able to boast of successfully supporting the reelection of Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX) in a heavily fought race against liberal former Congressman Ciro Rodriguez.

The most high profile race of the year for The Club was their support of conservative Cranston, Rhode Island mayor Stephen Laffey against liberal incumbent Senator Lincoln Chafee. Chaffee was able to hang on for a 54% to 46% victory in large part because of Democrats that crossed over to vote for him and the aid of Sen. Elizabeth Dole and the NRSC, President Bush, and the rest of the party's establishment in Rhode Island.

[edit] 2008 Elections

The Club entered the 2008 election cycle by continuing to fund candidates for congress that support their stated goals of less taxes, more trade, and smaller government. In most cases the candidates they support are in conservative districts that should be held by a conservative Republican. It is believed however that they will not support a candidate if they are not viewed as a viable contender in their own right. This is allegedly why the Club failed to support Joe McLauglin in his primary challenge to Rep. Walter Jones in North Carolina's 3rd congressional district. McLauglin went on to lose by a 60% to 40% margin.

[edit] Victorious Candidates

  • The Club strongly supported state senator Andrew P. Harris in his successful primary campaign for Maryland's 1st congressional district against incumbent Republican congressman Wayne Gilchrest. Despite some polls and predictions that Gilchrest would survive, on the Feb. 12th primary Harris surged to a strong 44% to 32% victory. Gilchrest is the second incumbent Republican to be defeated by a candidate supported by the Club. The first was Rep. Joe Schwarz in Michigan in 2006.

[2]

  • Chris Hackett for Pennsylvania CD 10 vs. incumbent Rep. Chris Carney. Hackett defeated Dan Meuser in the primary on April 22, 2008 by 52% to 48%.
  • The Club backed State Sen. Steve Scalise in his May 3, 2008 special election victory for Louisiana CD 1 (vacated by Gov. Bobby Jindal) with 75% of the vote. He had previously defeated Tim Burns in the Republican primary by 58% to 42%.
  • State Senator Tom McClintock in California's 4th congressional district to replace retiring congressman John Doolittle. McClintock defeated former congressman Doug Ose by a 53.7% to 38.7% margin in the June 3, 2008 primary. [3]
  • Congressman Steve Pearce for an open New Mexico senate seat (being vacated by Sen. Pete Domenici.) Rep. Pearce defeated Rep. Heather Wilson by a 51% to 49% margin in the June 3, 2008 primary.

[edit] Defeated Candidates

  • In Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District, The Club endorsed Charlie Ross, a former state senator, for the position being vacated by the retiring Chip Pickering. Ross however was defeated in the April 1, 2008 primary run-off election by Gregg Harper 57% to 43%.
  • The Club endorsed, but did not raise funds for, Matt Shaner in Pennsylvania's CD 5 (being vacated by Rep. John Peterson.) Shaner finished a close 2nd in the crowded April 22, 2008 primary to Glenn Thompson by a vote of 19.4% to 17.7%. Pennsylvania does not have run-off elections.
  • The Club endorsed Woody Jenkins for Louisiana CD 6 being vacated by Rep. Richard Baker. He was defeated on Sat. May 3, 2008 by Democrat Don Cazayoux by a 49% to 46% margin. Louisiana does not have a run-off for special general elections.

[edit] Upcoming Elections

The Club is also supporting the reelection campaigns of Congressman Tim Walberg in Michigan's 7th district, and Rep. Doug Lamborn in Colorado's 5th district. Additionally, they continue to support previously funded candidates that won their primary elections.

[edit] 2008 Presidential Election

During the 2008 Republican presidential primaries The Club was critical of Mike Huckabee, using funds from backers of Mitt Romney to attack him as the "tax-increasing liberal governor of Arkansas" .[4] Huckabee, in turn, has referred to the Club for Growth as the "Club for Greed."[5]

The Club has occasionally made statements both in support and opposition to various proposals by Sen. John McCain. To date they have not endorsed a presidential candidate.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Club for Growth Suit
  2. ^ baltimoresun.com: 2008 Primary Results
  3. ^ The Club For Growth - http://www.clubforgrowth.org
  4. ^ "Huckabee foes open their wallets for attack ads", Los Angeles Times, January 1, 2008. 
  5. ^ Huckabee?: Comment: The New Yorker

[edit] External links