Club for Growth Action, a conservative super PAC, is trying to find what advantages it can in a difficult political environment for Republicans.
Amid persistent inflation, record-high diesel prices and elevated interest rates, the group wants to craft a positive economic message.
“It’s got to be a contrast,” Club for Growth President David McIntosh told journalists in Washington. “We will keep working to improve your position, improve the economy. … [Democrats will] start taxing your tips. They’ll tax Social Security. They’ll bring back the regulatory clampdown on the economy.”
He said Republicans should simplify their message to: “Things are not great now. You can choose to have them get better or get worse.”
The group’s goal is to spend a total of $150 million in the midterms, including its spending on primaries, Mr. McIntosh said.
In Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, Club for Growth is trying to unseat Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat who has served in Congress since 1983. Her northwestern Ohio district leans further Republican after redistricting.
“Presidents come and go, but not Marcy Kaptur’s tax hikes,” says one of its ads.
“Higher taxes on tips, overtime, even Social Security benefits. No matter who’s in the Oval, life is more expensive with Marcy Kaptur in Congress,” says the ad’s narrator.
In Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, Republican Rep. Tom Barrett is facing a challenge from William Lawrence, a democratic socialist and environmental activist.
“William Lawrence isn’t just some run-of-the-mill liberal. He’s a loud and proud hard-left socialist,” says the group’s ad in the Lansing-area district, showing an image of him rallying alongside Sen. Bernard Sanders, a Vermont independent.
Mr. McIntosh acknowledged that Republicans may have difficult battles in midwestern farming states where President Trump’s tariffs are unpopular.
The Club for Growth is spending in the Senate races in Iowa and Nebraska, normally deep-red states where polls show tight races.
“They’ve been in recession in the ag markets for about 18 months,” Mr. McIntosh said.
Ahead of November, Mr. Trump is trying to excite his hardcore supporters, holding a rare midterm party convention, campaigning in swing states, and asking Americans to pretend he is on the ballot.
In Mr. McIntosh’s view, tying the midterms to the president is a good strategy, given his ability to energize the Republican base.
“It’s a complex puzzle,” he said, pointing out that Mr. Trump polls low among independents and Democrats. “But for the most part, that’s baked in.”
He said the strategy has “relatively little downside … and the potential upside of bringing out those additional voters.”
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