Breakfast also features five candidates who will help the party achieve that goal

WASHINGTON, DC – Amid cautious optimism about the GOP’s prospects at the polls this November, The Ripon Society hosted a breakfast discussion this past Tuesday morning with Kansas Senator Jerry Moran, who serves as Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee and who discussed why he believes it is critical for Republicans to win control of the Senate this year. The breakfast also featured five candidates who will help the party achieve that goal. 

“I don’t have a vote in the Democrat caucus to change who the majority leader is,” Moran stated. “I only have the ability to help change what party is in the majority so there can be new leadership in the Senate. Whether or not we win every battle, whether or not we’re successful in every amendment, the Senate needs to function. We all need to be given the opportunity to represent our constituents. It’s time for new leadership in the Senate, and we’re doing everything we can to accomplish that goal.” 

In his position as Chairman of the NRSC, Moran is leading the GOP effort to retake the majority in the Senate. An important part of this effort, he noted, is recruiting candidates who are not only representative of their state, but who could be competitive in the general election this fall. 

“We’re working with political interests across states and across the country, with Republican governors and legislative leaders, with the business community, the Tea Party and others trying to reach a consensus – that there is somebody who satisfies the needs of their state, who can change the nature of the Senate, who can replace a Democrat with a Republican, or make certain that a Republican is replaced with a Republican.” 

Moran described the NRSC’s recruitment efforts this cycle as being a “significant success,” in part, he said, because the Committee understands that you cannot adopt a “cookie cutter approach” when it comes to the American electorate. “Each state is different,” he stated. “We need candidates who fit the needs of their states, who understand the values of the people and the issues and how their fellow citizens think.” 

In addition to Senator Moran’s comments about winning back the Senate, The Ripon Society’s breakfast also featured five Republicans candidates who will help the party achieve that goal. The candidates included:

• Tom Cotton, who currently represents the 4th Congressional District of Arkansas – “Tom Cotton is an amazing person,” Moran observed. “He brings in all factions of the Republican Party, and has broad support across Arkansas. It’s just great to watch his campaign.” 
• Shelley Moore Capito, who currently represents the 2nd Congressional District of West Virginia — “When Shelley announced her willingness to seek this office,” Moran remarked, “it was a great relief. We could not think of a more qualified, a better candidate for West Virginia than Shelley Moore. Her decision to run, in my view, was one of the best days of our time at the NRSC, and I’m grateful to her for doing that.” 
• Bill Cassidy, who currently represents the 6th Congressional District of Louisiana – “Bill and his wife are amazing people,” Moran stated. “His life is devoted to caring for people and patients in Louisiana. He’s home every weekend with free clinics for Louisianans who need health care services. I don’t think there’s a candidate who works harder than Bill. I’ve never known anyone more devoted to a cause and more devoted to its success than Bill.” 
• Dan Sullivan, who previously served as the attorney general of Alaska and is now the state’s Natural Resources Commissioner – “We certainly see a path to a majority that involves Alaska,” Moran stated, “like others, Dan is a significant component of that path.” 
• Steve Daines, who currently serves as the At-Large Representative for the State of Montana – “His decision to run gives us a lot of optimism about the future,” Moran said. “Steve is the candidate we hoped that we could get. The day he said ‘yes’ was just a great sense of relief to us at NRSC and to our colleagues in the United States Senate.” 

The NRSC and Senator Moran have not endorsed in the primaries. 

“Predictions are difficult,” Moran concluded. “What we all do between now and November 2014 will determine success. But if you asked me about races, I would tell you that we will have a Republican Senator in West Virginia, Montana, Alaska, Louisiana and Arkansas because of the quality of these people you see here and across our map.”

The Ripon Society is a public policy organization that was founded in 1962 and takes its name from the town where the Republican Party was born in 1854 – Ripon, Wisconsin. One of the main goals of The Ripon Society is to promote the ideas and principles that have made America great and contributed to the GOP’s success. These ideas include keeping our nation secure, keeping taxes low and having a federal government that is smaller, smarter and more accountable to the people.