Reynolds Fills NRCC Exec Committee
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Reynolds (N.Y.) recently finished organizing the committee’s executive committee for the 2006 cycle, shuffling a few roles but largely keeping the same group of players he had in 2004.
The overall structure of the governing body remains unchanged from the previous cycle, when Reynolds heavily revamped Members’ involvement in the top leadership of the committee in the wake of campaign finance reforms.
“I am delighted that these members have agreed to serve on the NRCC executive committee and I look forward to working with them as we work to maintain our Republican majority,” Reynolds said in a statement.
The NRCC’s executive committee oversees the general operations of the House GOP’s campaign arm, which raised and spent $185 million in the 2004 cycle. The committee was expecting to take in a record $8 million at its annual dinner featuring President Bush on Tuesday night.
Reynolds has tapped Rep. Sue Myrick (N.C.) to chair the executive committee for the second cycle in a row. Reynolds held the post during the 2002 cycle, before being elected chairman.
Under Myrick are nine Members who will chair certain efforts within the committee.
As part of the biennial retooling, a few new categories have been added to the executive committee’s organization, “to take advantage of all of the strengths our Members can bring to the table,” NRCC spokesman Carl Forti said.
Myrick and Audit Committee Chairman Greg Walden (Ore.) are the only holdovers from last cycle within the top leadership of the executive committee.
Rep. Kay Granger (Texas) will head up the NRCC’s finance effort, Rep. Candice Miller (Mich.) will chair recruiting, Rep. Don Sherwood (Pa.) is overseeing incumbent development, and freshman Rep. Patrick McHenry (N.C.) will lead the communications message squad.
Rep. Pete Sessions (Texas) has been charged with overseeing incumbent retention for the cycle.
Sessions, who emerged from an expensive and bloody Member-versus-Member race with then-Rep. Martin Frost (D-Texas) in 2004, is considered one of the possible successors to Reynolds at the NRCC next cycle.
Rep. Howard McKeon (Calif.) will serve as liaison to the Republican National Committee’s 72 Hour Task Force, the nationwide GOP get-out-the-vote effort. McKeon will also head the NRCC’s Incumbent Fund, along with Rep. Anne Northup (Ky.).
Rep. Jerry Weller (Ill.), who unsuccessfully ran for NRCC chairman in 2002, will head the committee’s Community Partnership effort, which focuses on GOP outreach to specific interest groups.
The co-chairmen of the partnership are Reps. Eric Cantor (Va.), Tom Cole (Okla.), Mario Diaz-Balart (Fla.), Sue Kelly (N.Y.), Ed Royce (Calif.) and Jack Kingston (Ga.) and Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner Luis Fortuño.
Other members of the executive committee are: Reps. Mike Rogers (Ala.), Mike Ferguson (N.J.), Jeb Hensarling (Texas), Tom Feeney (Fla.), Adam Putnam (Fla.), Patrick Tiberi (Ohio), David Dreier (Calif.), Ander Crenshaw (Fla.), Rob Portman (Ohio), John Culberson (Texas), Phil English (Pa.), Jerry Moran (Kan.), Sam Graves (Mo.), Mark Kirk (Ill.), John Boehner (Ohio), Jim McCrery (La.), Todd Tiahrt (Kan.), Fred Upton (Mich.), Bob Ney (Ohio), Roger Wicker (Miss.), David Hobson (Ohio), Zach Wamp (Tenn.), Mike Conaway (Texas), Geoff Davis (Ky.), Cathy McMorris (Wash.), Tom Price (Ga.), Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.) and Mike Rogers (Mich.).