RNC’s Campaign Focus on New Jersey and Virginia

The Republican National Committee (RNC) is intensifying its efforts in New Jersey and Virginia as part of its broader strategy, according to a memo that was recently acquired. New Jersey, traditionally viewed as a Democratic stronghold, has shown signs of shifting right, particularly in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. Virginia, on the other hand, appears to be leaning more Republican following Governor Glenn Youngkin’s recent win and Donald Trump’s performance in the upcoming presidential contest.

The RNC has deployed election integrity staff in both states and has reportedly invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into these initiatives. By April, the memo indicated the RNC appointed a state director for election integrity in New Jersey, alongside three regional directors focusing on the southern part of the state and specific Congressional Districts. New Jersey also benefits from one local advisor.

The RNC’s efforts include a network of 27 county captains in New Jersey, comprising 17 law captains and 10 election integrity captains. So far, they’ve recruited around 700 grassroots volunteers and 310 volunteer lawyers, with about 13,000 New Jerseyans expressing interest in volunteering.

In terms of operational focus, the team is currently engaged in “testing logic and accuracy” to ensure the reliability of voting equipment. They’ve also requested public records related to incident reports and audit logs from voting machines.

This memo notes that the RNC has already invested approximately $124,700 in New Jersey toward maintaining election integrity efforts.

White House officials acknowledged in May the importance of monitoring the New Jersey governor’s race, suggesting involvement if Republicans see promising prospects. An official remarked that this has been in the works for over two decades.

Following this, Trump endorsed Republican Jack Ciattarelli for the 2025 gubernatorial race in New Jersey.

In Virginia, the RNC initiated its election integrity efforts with an associate state director in April. By July, they had onboarded four regional directors and one in-state advisor. The party has six legal captains and 51 election integrity captains across the state, with outreach to nearly 10,000 potential grassroots volunteers, of which 151 have successfully completed the Voting Workers program. Additionally, 1,612 potential volunteer lawyers have been contacted.

The memo states that the RNC has invested approximately $164,300 in Virginia, concentrating on election integrity initiatives.

Recently, RNC Chairman Michael Whatley attended a training session focused on election integrity in northern Virginia, where around 50 residents gathered to learn about roles as vote watchers or voting workers for future elections. He commented that these efforts are just the beginning, aiming to ensure a Republican majority in the upcoming midterm elections.

Looking ahead, the RNC plans to concentrate on Senate races in states like Georgia, North Carolina, Maine, Michigan, and Kentucky. Whatley expressed the need to expand outreach strategies and solidify infrastructure in various states to safeguard election integrity effectively.

“What we’re doing now is building that program in Virginia and New Jersey for the governor and legislative races, and it’s crucial to have a reliable system in place,” he noted.