Republican Main Street Partnership

The Republican Main Street Partnership is a broad alliance of centrist Republicans, including more than 60 sitting members in Congress. It is dedicated to working across the aisle to enact legislation on issues such as healthcare, family issues, workforce development, the environment (including clean water), and transportation/infrastructure. Its members run and win in the most highly contested swing districts in the country.

"Main Street Partnership" redirects here. For a similar term, see Main Street Republicans.
Republican Main Street Partnership
FoundedMay 1994 (1994-05)
Type501(c)(4)[1]
Legal statusNonprofit organization
PurposeTo study and educate the public and members of Congress on the effects of governmental policies on healthcare; energy and the environment; trade; education; defense; tax policy; and the deficit.[1]
HeadquartersWashington, D.C., U.S.
Sarah Chamberlain[2]
Board member
Doug Ose[2]
Board Member
Robert Ziff[2]
Board member
Tim Regan[2]
Revenue (2018)
$1,607,573[1]
Expenses (2018)$1,700,053[1]
Websiterepublicanmainstreet.org
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RMSP is a 501(c)(4) organization that used to be allied with the similarly named Republican Main Street Caucus.[3] According to the Partnership, its members advocate for "conservative, pragmatic government".[4] The Partnership continues to exist, while the Caucus was dissolved by its members in February 2019.[5]

History

Formation of the Republican Main Street Partnership

The Republican Main Street Partnership was formed following the 1994 House elections in which conservative Republicans were swept into power. An informal discussion group formed by representatives Nancy Johnson, Steve Gunderson and Fred Upton later became somewhat of an organized bloc intent on representing the moderate wing of the Republican Party.

The Republican Main Street Partnership allied with other moderate Republican groups, including Christine Todd Whitman's It's My Party Too, Ann Stone's Republicans for Choice, the Log Cabin Republicans, the Republican Majority for Choice, The Wish List, Republicans for Environmental Protection, the Mainstream Republicans of Washington and the Kansas Traditional Republican Majority.

They were sometimes swing votes on spending bills and as a result have gained influence in Congress out of proportion to their numbers. They are frequently sought after to broker compromises between the Democratic and Republican leadership, generally lending a more center-right character to US politics.[6]

Members of the Republican Main Street Partnership were often challenged in Republican primaries by members from the Club for Growth, FreedomWorks and the Tea Party movement, among others.[7] The Club for Growth has used the pejorative term RINO (Republicans In Name Only) to describe opponents such as the Republican Main Street Partnership that it feels are not conservative enough. According to the director of the Republican Main Street Partnership, the Club for Growth and its agenda are "not representative of the Republican Party" and the Republican Main Street Partnership "raise[s] money on a daily basis to defeat" members of the Club for Growth.[8]

In 2004, the group attempted to propose changes to moderate the Republican Party's platform regarding abortion and stem-cell research.[9]

Formation of the Republican Main Street Caucus

On September 7, 2017, members formed the Republican Main Street Caucus with Pat Tiberi (OH–12) as Chair.[10][11] After Tiberi's resignation from the House in 2018, Rodney Davis (IL–13) took over duties as Chair.[12]

Dissolution of the Republican Main Street Caucus

After the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections, the Democratic Party won the majority of the seats in the House of Representatives, gaining a net total of 41 seats from two years prior, their largest gain of House seats in an election since the 1974 elections.[5]

On November 28, 2018, the Republican Main Street Caucus met with the Republican Main Street Partnership to ask why the Partnership's SuperPAC still had $722,000 unspent, rather than spending that money on competitive races to keep its members in office. The Partnership's chief executive officer, Sarah Chamberlain, said that $6 million had been spent on 2018 campaigns, and that the remaining $722,000 was set aside for 2020. Members of the Caucus were concerned that Chamberlain's compensation was 20 percent of the Partnership's operating expenses.[1][5]

The following month, the Caucus asked Chamberlain how the Caucus had spent its money to help its members' races. Chamberlain referenced an organization, Women2Women, that was part of the Partnership's network that many Caucus members had never heard of, spurring questions about Chamberlain's leadership. The Caucus voted unanimously to suspend political activity with the Partnership until an independent audit of the Partnership's governance could be conducted. The Partnership declined to be audited, saying it was a private organization, independent of the Caucus, and that the Caucus had no right to request an audit.[5]

The members of the Caucus voted to dissolve itself in February 2019.[5] Some of its members decided to join the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. The Partership continues to exist.[13]

Board of directors

Current members
Map of House caucus members during the 115th Congress
Map of House caucus members during the 113th Congress
Map of House caucus members during the 112th Congress

Senators

Representatives

Former members

Representatives

Senators

See also

Notes
  1. member of Leadership Advisory Group[17]

References
  1. "Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". Republican Main Street Partnership. Internal Revenue Service. December 31, 2018.
  2. "Board of Directors". Republican Main Street Partnership. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  3. O'Connor, Patrick (April 16, 2014). "GOP Feud on Full Display in New Idaho Ad". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  4. "The Governing Wing of the Republican Party". Republican Main Street Partnership. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  5. Davis, Susan. "Meltdown On Main Street: Inside The Breakdown Of The GOP's Moderate Wing". NPR. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  6. "Republican Main Street Partnership Delivers Passage of the First Major Mental Health Legislation in 50 Years - Republican Main Street Partnership". Republican Main Street Partnership. July 7, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  7. "Club for Growth". Club for Growth. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  8. "Republican Group Targets Its Own Party". NPR.org. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  9. Kirkpatrick, David D. (25 August 2004). "THE 2004 CAMPAIGN: THE REPUBLICAN AGENDA; Draft G.O.P. Platform Backs Bush on Security, Gay Marriage and Immigration". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  10. "Statement on Formation of Republican Main Street Congressional Caucus".
  11. "Republican Main Street Partnership forms new Capitol Hill caucus with Ohio ties".
  12. "Is there room for another GOP caucus? Main Street chairman says yes".
  13. "Republican Main Street Partnership - Initial File Number: 931728". Government of the District of Columbia. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  14. "RMSP Members | The Governing Wing". republicanmainstreet.org. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  15. "Members". Republican Mainstreet Partnership PAC. Retrieved 2019-02-16.
  16. "Members". Republican Mains Street Partnership. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  17. "Leadership Advisory Group". Republican Main Street Partnership Retrieved November 20, 2020.
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