Thursday, April 28, 2011

Will the NRA Pull the Trigger for the Delaware GOP, or on the Delaware GOP?

In less than one week, delegates will convene to vote on who should lead the Republican State Committee.  The race for party chair is between Michael D.  Protack and John C. Sigler.  Mike is an airline Captain and previous statewide candidate, while John Sigler is an attorney, previous Kent County party official and the immediate Past-President of the National Rifle Association.
Protack is running on his detailed plans on technology, communications, outreach, by laws, open process and party structure.  Sigler rests his case on him being the immediate Past-President of the NRA. The evidence below shows his supporters are overlooking the NRA's lack of commitment to Delaware.
While John Sigler was President of the NRA from 2007 to 2009, the NRA Political Victory Fund committed a paltry $7,045 to Delaware candidates.  Of that $7,045 gave $350 to the Delaware Democratic Party and $200 to the House Democrats of Delaware during the 2008 election cycle.  The Republican State Committee of Delaware, nor did neither Delaware House nor Senate Republican caucuses receive any monies from the NRA Political Victory Fund in 2008.
During the most recent 2010 election cycle where Republicans garnered victories nation-wide, the NRA Political Victory Fund contributed a paltry $1,025 to Delaware candidates.  The House Democrats of Delaware received another $150 during the 2010 election cycle.  The Republican State Committee of Delaware, nor did neither Delaware House nor Senate Republican caucuses receive any monies from the NRA Political Victory Fund in 2010.
With respect to individual candidates, the NRA Political Victory Fund committed $6245 to Delaware candidates during the 2008 election cycle, and $875 during the 2010 election cycle.  In 2008, the NRA gave $4,820 to Delaware Republicans versus $1,425 to Delaware Democrats.  Noteworthy Democrats who received financial contributions in 2008 include Delaware Senate Pro Tempore Anthony DeLuca ($200), Bethany Hall-Long ($100), and David McBride ($100).  In 2010, the NRA gave $575 to Delaware Republicans versus $300 to Delaware Democrats.   In this election cycle,  Delaware legislators John Atkins, Bruce Ennis and Valerie Longhurst each received $100.
Surely, the National Rifle Association could have done a better job to electing Delaware Republicans to the Delaware General Assembly in 2008 and 2010.  The recent performance of the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund in Delaware leaves a lot to be desired, and remember in during the 2008 election cycle the NRA President was from Delaware.
For comparison, the financial commitment to Delaware candidates and party committees by the NRA Political Victory Fund in 2008 and 2010 was significantly lower than in previous election cycles.  Check out this graph:


Based on the above graph, the best year was during the 2000 Presidential election cycle, followed by the second best year in 2006 (when the U.S. House and U.S. Senate flipped to the Democrats).   From a financial perspective the last two elections for the NRA Political Victory Fund Delaware were sub-par based on contributions during the 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006 election cycles.

The NRA Does not Stand for the National Republican Association
During the review period of election cycles from 2000 through 2010, the NRA Political Victory Fund is not loyal to the Republican Party organizations, and also has contributed to the Democratic Party organizations and even Democrats over Republicans during these election cycles.  See chart below on the 10-year NRA-PVF Delaware contributions to party committees and organizations:

To summarize over a ten-year period of five election cycles from 2000 through 2010, the NRA Political Victory Fund Delaware contributed $11,150 to Republican Party organizations and $6,900 to Democratic Party organizations in the State of Delaware.
The last time the NRA Political Victory Fund Delaware gave to the Republican State Committee or a Republican caucus in the Delaware General Assembly was in 2006.  It's absence during the 2006 and 2010 election cycles have impaired the Republican State Committee from being financially competitive with the Democratic Party in General Assembly races.   As a result, the Democrats have secure a super-majority in the Delaware State House, and the Republicans only have seven seats in the Delaware State Senate.
               
Even Republican Candidates Lose with the NRA
In reviewing the past ten year endorsements and financial contributions by The NRA Political Victory Fund Delaware, a trend of endorsing and supporting incumbents over strong conservative candidates did not help the Republicans in Delaware. 
2002 Election Cycle
Race
Endorsed
Contributions
Result
DE Senate
Richard Dilberto over Liane Sorensen
$600 to Dilberto
GOP won
DE Senate
Anthony DeLuca

DEM won
DE Senate
James Vaughn over Mark Schaeffer

DEM won
DE Senate
Nancy Cook

DEM won
DE Senate
Thurman Adams over Esthelda Selby

DEM won
DE Senate
George Bunting over John Rieley

DEM won
DE Senate
Bruce Ennis
$600 to Ennis
DEM won
DE Senate
Robert Venables

DEM won
DE House
Bethany Hall-Long
$600 to Hall-Long
DEM won
DE House
Michael Mulrooney
$600 to Mulrooney
DEM won
2004 Election Cycle
Race
Endorsed
Contributions
Result
Governor
Ruth Ann Minner  over William Lee
$1200 to Minner
DEM won
DE Senate
Anthony DeLuca

DEM won
DE Senate
David McBride
$600 to McBride
DEM won
DE Senate
Thurman Adams
$600 to Adams
DEM won
DE Senate
Robert Venables over Daniel Short
$600 to Venables
DEM won
DE House
Bethany Hall-Long

DEM won
DE House
John Vansant
$300 to Vansant
DEM won
DE House
Michael Mulrooney over Phillip Simkins
$550 to Mulrooney
DEM won
DE House
John Viola

DEM won
DE House
Bruce Ennis
$300 to Ennis
DEM won
2006 Election Cycle
Race
Endorsed
Contributions
Result
DE Senate
James Vaughn over John Feroce
$500 to Ennis
DEM won
DE Senate
Thurman Adams

DEM won
DE Senate
George Bunting

DEM won
DE Senate
David McBride

DEM won
DE Senate
Nancy Cook

DEM won
DE House
Bethany Hall-Long over Edward Colaprete

DEM won
DE House
Francis Murphy over Robert  Valihura
$200 to Murphy
DEM won
DE House
Michael Mulrooney over David-Lee Osborn
DEM won
DE House
Robert Gilligan

DEM won
DE House
John Viola

DEM won
DE House
Bruce Ennis
$100 to Ennis
DEM won
DE House
Jeanine Kleimo over Donald Blakely
$400 to Kleimo
GOP won
2008 Election Cycle
Race
Endorsed
Contributions
Result
DE Senate
Bethany Hall-Long over James Weldin
$100 to Hall-Long
DEM won
DE Senate
Anthony DeLuca
$200 to DeLuca
DEM won
DE Senate
David McBride
$100 to McBride
DEM won
DE Senate
Bruce Ennis
$100 to Ennis
DEM won
DE Senate
James Venables

DEM won
DE House
Michael Mulrooney
$100 to Mulrooney
DEM won
DE House
Robert Gilligan
$200 to Gilligan
DEM won
DE House
John Viola

DEM won
DE House
Robert Walls over Harold Peterman

DEM won
DE House
William Carson over Karen Minner

DEM won
DE House
Valerie Longhurst
$100 to Longhurst
DEM won
2010 Election Cycle
Race
Endorsed
Contributions
Result
DE Senate
David McBride

DEM won
DE Senate
Bruce Ennis
$100 to Ennis
DEM won
DE Senate
Nancy Cook over David Lawson

GOP won
DE Senate
George Bunting

DEM won
DE House
Robert Gilligan over Vincent Ruff

DEM won
DE House
William Carson over Karen Minner

DEM won
DE House
Bradford Bennett over Beth B. Miller

DEM won
DE House
Robert Walls over Harold Peterman

DEM won
DE House
John Atkins over Gregory Hastings
$100 to Atkins
DEM won
DE House
Valerie Longhurst over James Van Houten
$100 to Longhurst
DEM won


Sources:
-          NRA Political Victory Fund, Endorsements, Delaware 2002-2010 www.nrapvf.org
-          National Institute on Money in State Politics:
o   Delaware 2004:
o   Delaware 2006:
o   Delaware 2008:
o   Delaware 2010:

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