National Republican Senatorial Committee

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This article is part of the series: United States Senate
Members
Current (by seniority · by age · by class) Former Hill committees (DSCC, NRSC) President pro tempore (list) Dean · Presiding officer Party leaders and Assistants Democratic Caucus Republican Conference
Politics and procedure
Advice and consent Closed session (list) Cloture · Committees (list) Executive session · Filibuster History · Quorum  · Quorum call Recess appointment · Salaries Seal  · Standing Rules · Traditions Unanimous consent VPs' tie-breaking votes
Places
United States Capitol Senate office buildings (Dirksen · Hart · Russell)

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.

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.

Senator Ensign's NRSC staff:

Executive Director: Scott Bensing

Political Director: Mike Slanker

Finance Director: Lindsey Slanker

[edit] List of Chairmen

[edit] See also

• Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
• Green Senatorial Campaign Committee

[edit] External links

• NRSC official website