The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is the Republican Hill committee for the United States Senate, working to elect Republicans to that body. The NRSC was founded in 1916 as the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. It was reorganized in 1948, and renamed the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Recent Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist was an NRSC chair, and many feel he used it to make the connections that he used to become majority leader when Trent Lott resigned.
The NRSC helps elect Republican incumbents and challengers primarily through fundraising. Other services include promotion using media and communications, as well as research and strategy planning. The NRSC generally avoids supporting Republicans in primaries against other party members, though the 2006 Rhode Island Senate primary between Lincoln Chafee and mayor of Cranston Steve Laffey is a notable exception.
The NRSC sends out mass mailings to addresses in states where Republican senators are likely to be voted out. Mailings in October 2008 included one to Minnesota residents with the appearance of a comic book, but containing material unsuitable for children. Incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman condemned the action.
Senate Republicans elected new leadership positions after the 2006 midterm elections on November 7, 2006. For a time it was unclear who would take over as chair of the NRSC. Sen. John Thune, who defeated Sen. Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) in the 2004 cycle, was considered the best pick, but he ruled himself out early in 2006. After receiving the blessing from his family and consulting with other Republicans in the Senate, Sen. John Ensign of Nevada announced on September 26, 2006 that he would seek the chairmanship. He was formally elected November 15, 2006. On November 18, 2008, Texas U.S Senator John Cornyn was elected chairman.
Read more about National Republican Senatorial Committee: List of Chairmen
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