The Hill
TAMPA, Fla. — Two Republican leaders are worried about the condition their state party structures are in, a concern mirrored in a number of key battlegrounds nationwide.
“I wish I could tell you we were doing well right now — we’re not. Ron Paul has totally taken our [state] party over,” Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) told an activist from his state.
Those aren’t top targets at the presidential level, but Arizona has a competitive Senate race and three tough House races, and Minnesota has a toss-up House race as well.
Their concern in their own states mirrors worries other state party officials in crucial swing states have publicly and privately voiced to The Hill — that the weakness of some of their organizations, as well as a strong push by Paul backers to take control of a number of state party organizations, will hurt them this fall. Paul supporters have complete control of Iowa, as well as Nevada, where Romney’s campaign has erected a “shadow” party for its get-out-the-vote push. Colorado’s disorganized state party is also a worry for him.
Kyl warned that in his experience, independent expenditure efforts aren’t as effective as a united party.
“That’s what we’ve done [in Arizona] the last six years,” he said. “That’s what’s happened to us because the Arizona Republican Party has been divided — there have been different efforts by different groups. And it’s never as effective as if you’re united.”
But he downplayed any concerns that Romney could suffer from state party disorganization.
“At any given time in both political parties half the states are messed up and half of them are doing well and in 10 years that will switch,” he said.
