Republican Legislative Campaign Committee Announces 2018 Executive Committee

Iowa Speaker of the House Linda Upmeyer Will Serve as the Caucus’s First Chairwoman

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 13, 2018) — The Republican Legislative Campaign Committee (RLCC), a caucus of the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC), announced that Iowa’s Speaker of the House Linda Upmeyer will serve as the committee’s Chairwoman for the 2018 election cycle.

“Over the past decade Republicans have dominated in state legislatures, flipping over 1,000 state legislative districts, and I’m proud to be able to help continue this success,” said Speaker Linda Upmeyer.  “In an election environment that has invigorated female candidates and voters, I’m proud to serve as the first Chairwoman for the RLCC.  With Republican majorities in 67 legislatures the RLCC will have a lot of territory to defend in 2018 but I’m confident with the right message and resources we can maintain and grow these majorities,” added Upmeyer.

Upmeyer, first elected to the legislature in 2002, became the first female speaker in Iowa history when she was elected to lead her legislative caucus in 2015. She currently presides over a Republican House caucus of 59 Republican representatives.

Kentucky House Majority Floor Leader Jonathan Shell and North Carolina Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger will join Upmeyer as Co-Vice Chairs. In the 2016 election cycle, Leader Shell played an instrumental role in partnership with the RLCC to flip the Kentucky House to Republican control for the first time in nearly 100 years. As Minority Leader in the Senate ahead of the 2010 midterms, Berger oversaw a political operation that elected a Republican majority in the state Senate for the first time since Reconstruction, after which he was elected Senate President Pro Tem.

RSLC President Matt Walter added:

“As Vice-Chairwoman of the RLCC last year, Speaker Linda Upmeyer has an acute understanding of the political terrain facing Republican state legislators this year. Having passed a multitude of conservative reforms under her speakership, Speaker Upmeyer is the embodiment of the type of impact Republican legislative leaders can have in their communities. Under the leadership of Speaker Upmeyer, President Pro Tem Berger, and Majority Leader Shell, the RLCC will continue to remain the premier organization supporting Republican legislative leaders.”

The Executive Committee features state legislative leaders from 23 states. The complete RLCC Executive Committee is as follows:

• Iowa Speaker of the House Linda Upmeyer, Chairwoman
• Kentucky House Majority Floor Leader Jonathan Shell, Co-Vice Chairman
• North Carolina Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, Co-Vice Chairman
• Colorado Senate President Kevin Grantham
• Indiana Speaker of the House Brian Bosma
• Florida Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto
• Georgia Senate President Pro Tem Butch Miller
• Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers
• Michigan Speaker Pro Tempore Lee Chatfield
• Minnesota Speaker of the House Kurt Daudt
• Mississippi Speaker of the House Phil Gunn
• Missouri Speaker of the House Todd Richardson
• Nevada Republican Senate Leader Michael Roberson
• New Jersey Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean
• New Mexico Republican House Leader Nate Gentry
• New York Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan
• Oklahoma Senate Majority Whip Kim David
• Oregon Senate Republican Leader Jackie Winters
• Pennslyvania Speaker of the House Mike Turzai
• South Carolina State Representative Phyllis Henderson
• Texas Speaker of the House Joe Straus
• Virginia Republican Senate Caucus Chairman Ryan McDougle
• Virginia Speaker of the House Kirk Cox
• Washington Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler
• Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald

About the RLCC

The Republican Legislative Campaign Committee (RLCC) is the only national organization dedicated exclusively to electing more Republicans to state legislatures. The RLCC’s primary mission is gaining Republican control of more state legislative chambers by targeting national resources to support winnable local races. Since its formation in 2003, the RLCC has assisted in bringing successes to numerous legislative chambers, and winning historic majorities in states nationwide.

About the RSLC

The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) is the largest caucus of Republican state leaders in the country and the only national organization whose mission is to elect Republicans to multiple down-ballot, state-level offices. Since 2002, the RSLC has been working to elect candidates to the offices of lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state legislator, the judiciary and other down-ticket races. After Election Night 2017, state-level Republicans maintain 67 of 99 legislative chamber majorities in red, purple and blue states, hold 31 lieutenant governor seats, and control 30 secretaries of state offices. To learn more about the RSLC, please visit www.rslc.gop or follow @RSLC on Twitter.

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