The Republican National Committee (RNC) is making a strategic move to bolster election integrity in New Jersey and Virginia, as revealed by a memo obtained by the Daily Caller.
This initiative comes as part of the RNC's efforts to secure a foothold in these states ahead of the midterm elections, reflecting a shift in the political landscape.
New Jersey, traditionally a Democratic bastion, has seen a gradual shift towards the right, particularly evident in the 2024 presidential election. Virginia, too, has emerged as a potential win for Republicans, following Governor Glenn Youngkin's victory in 2023 and President Donald Trump's strong performance in the 2024 presidential race.
As reported by the Daily Caller, the RNC has deployed election integrity staff in both states, investing a substantial amount in this election cycle.
The RNC's election integrity initiative in New Jersey, as detailed in the memo, includes the appointment of a deputy state director for election integrity as of April. Three regional election integrity directors have been operational since July, focusing their efforts on southern New Jersey and the 7th and 9th Congressional Districts. The state also has an in-state counsel.
The memo further reveals the presence of 27 county captains across the state, comprising 17 legal captains and ten election integrity captains. The RNC has successfully enlisted 700 grassroots volunteers and 310 volunteer attorneys in New Jersey, with 13,000 residents expressing interest in volunteering.
The team's primary focus is on "Logic and Accuracy Testing," a process that ensures the reliability and accuracy of voting equipment. They have also submitted public records requests for incident reports and Seal Audit Logs for voting machines in the states. The RNC's investment in New Jersey's election integrity efforts stands at $124,700, according to the memo.
In May, a White House official informed the Caller that the political team was closely monitoring the New Jersey governor's race and would intervene if they deemed Republicans to be within "striking distance." The official suggested that such a scenario would "bode well for '26 and in the future."
Shortly thereafter, Trump endorsed Republican Jack Ciattarelli for the 2025 New Jersey gubernatorial election, signaling the party's confidence in their prospects in the state.
In Virginia, the RNC's election integrity efforts are also in full swing. The memo indicates that a deputy state director for election integrity was appointed in April, followed by four regional election integrity directors and an in-state election integrity counsel in July.
The state has six legal captains and 51 election integrity captains. The party has reached out to nearly 10,000 potential grassroots volunteers, with 151 participating in the poll worker program. They have also connected with 1,612 potential volunteer attorneys. The RNC's investment in Virginia's election integrity efforts amounts to $164,300, as per the memo.
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley recently attended an election integrity training in Northern Virginia, where approximately 50 Virginians gathered to learn about becoming a poll watcher or poll worker in the upcoming election.
With the midterm elections just over a year away, the RNC is striving to maintain the Republican majority in the House and Senate. Whatley, in an exclusive interview with the Caller, emphasized that the training was just the beginning of their efforts.
Looking ahead to the midterms, Whatley revealed that the party would concentrate on Senate races in Georgia, North Carolina, Maine, Michigan, and Kentucky. He stressed the need to collaborate with different state parties and ensure a robust presence for election integrity in each of these states.
Whatley affirmed that the RNC is currently building this program in Virginia and New Jersey due to the significance of the governor and legislative races in these states.
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