Innovative Technology Drove Record-Breaking Results for RJC PAC
Using innovative technology not deployed before by a Republican group, the RJC PAC this year raised nearly $750,000 for GOP candidates from Republican Jewish Coalition grassroots members.
The new platform, launched in July, allowed RJC small dollar members to donate to the RJC PAC and earmark contributions to specific candidates on the RJC PAC slate of 25 endorsees. The result was record-breaking support from Republican Jewish Coalition grassroots members to the RJC PAC and the endorsed candidates.
RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said, "We identified an area where the Left was doing a better job -- using the web to help groups on their side of the aisle bundle grassroots money directly to candidates -- giving Democrats an advantage. We had a new platform built on a custom web site that allowed our members to support the RJC PAC and our slate of endorsed candidates in a way that has never been done before on the Right and it really paid off.
"We dedicated 15 weeks to this project and the RJC PAC raised more than $385,000 for our slate of 25 endorsed candidates, Republicans who are pro-tax cuts, pro-defense, and pro-Israel. In addition, the RJC PAC brought in over $361,000, which supported Republicans in 61 races: 47 House races and 14 Senate races. That’s nearly $750,000 distributed directly to GOP candidates this cycle just via the RJC PAC. That does not include contributions to candidates made by RJC leaders at events sponsored by our Board Members. All told, we will have raised over $3 million for the 2018 midterm cycle to GOP candidates. This is our highest midterm election raise by far.
"We consider this technology the wave of the future for how groups on the Right can activate their members and effectively support great candidates in future elections. In fact, we have already started talking with other groups on the Right about how to make this technology work for them. We have a proven concept that other groups can invest in and expand upon.
"The RJC PAC has taken a leading role on this project to expand the RJC’s strategic goal of enhancing our efforts in midterm elections. Our goal is to hold Democrats who are wrong on key issues accountable to the voters for their views. This year, we put the focus on Democrats who supported President Obama’s disastrous Iran nuclear deal. In competitive Senate races that we targeted, four of those Democrats, and perhaps as many as five, lost their seats.
"This year’s effort was the biggest engagement ever by the RJC in a midterm election year and it really showed the clout that Jewish Republicans can have. Our endorsed candidates understood that our support came out of our shared values and common policy positions and they appreciated our efforts. It was a win-win all around."