Club for Growth Action

Last updated
Club for Growth Action
Founded2010
Type Political action committee
Focus"Defeating big-government politicians and replacing them with pro-growth, limited government conservatives." [1]
Location
Area served
United States
MethodCongressional elections
Key people
 David M. McIntosh
Website Official website

Club for Growth Action is an independent-expenditure only committee or Super PAC with a stated mission of "defeating big-government politicians and replacing them with pro-growth, limited government conservatives." [1] Club for Growth Action spends money running political advertising campaigns in congressional races throughout the country. [2]

Contents

Founded in August 2010, Club for Growth Action is an arm of the Club for Growth. [2] [3]

Political action

Club for Growth Action states that it is “dedicated to a single mission: beating big government politicians” of both parties. The group targets mostly Republicans in primaries and Democrats in the general election. [2] It initially opposed Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential primaries.

In February 2013, Club for Growth Action launched a website called “PrimaryMyCongressman.com." Club for Growth president Chris Chocola said the website would "serve as a tool to hold opponents of economic freedom and limited government accountable for their actions.” According to Club for Growth Action, the website will "rotate liberal Republicans through the website to highlight their failed records on limiting government." The first nine targets were Republicans Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a voluble Donald Trump foe, plus Mike Simpson, Rick Crawford, Frank Lucas, Steven Palazzo, Martha Roby, Larry Bucshon, Renee Ellmers, and Aaron Schock. [4] [5]

Expenditures

Club for Growth Action has spent millions of dollars on independent expenditures in support of candidates endorsed by the Club for Growth PAC. Those candidates include Ted Cruz, Pat Toomey, Jeff Flake, Tom Cotton, Chris McDaniel, Dan Sullivan, and Ben Sasse. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

In 2015, after Mike Huckabee announced he was running for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, Club for Growth Action announced a $100,000 ad buy critical of Huckabee's tax record. [12] [13]

Club for Growth Action was critical of Donald Trump's candidacy, announcing a $1 million advertising buy against his campaign in September 2015. In March 2016, the Club for Growth aired $1.5 million worth of anti-Trump advertisements in Florida. [14] The Club for Growth Action also ran anti-Trump advertisements in Illinois and Wisconsin. [15] In April 2016, Club for Growth Action announced a $1.5 million anti-Trump advertising buy in Indiana in advance of that state's presidential primary. [16] The group's advertisements highlighted Trump's support for liberal policies, such as a single-payer health insurance system and tax increases. [17] [18] [19] [20]

In the 2022 election cycle, Club for Growth Action spent a total of $81,355,585 in independent expenditures. [21] These have included generating television ads against Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Cheri Beasley, Democratic U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Pat McCrory. [22] [23] [24]

Funding

Club for Growth Action used to receive in-kind contributions from the Club for Growth, but now it receives all of its funding from individual donors. [2] The Center for Public Integrity gave Club for Growth Action a high transparency grade for "significant disclosure." Top donors to Club for Growth Action in 2022 include Jeff Yass, Richard Uihlein, and Virginia James. [25]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Club for Growth Action" . Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Club for Growth Action". FactCheck.org. Annenberg Public Policy Center. 26 April 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  3. ↑ Marcus, Rachael (22 August 2012). "PAC profile: Club for Growth Action". Consider the Source. Center for Public Integrity. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  4. ↑ "Club for Growth targets Idaho Rep. Simpson for defeat in 2014". Idaho Statesman. 2013-02-27. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  5. ↑ Wing, Nick (2013-02-27). "Club For Growth Launches New Effort To Recruit GOP Primary Challengers Against Republicans". Huffington Post. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  6. ↑ "Club for Growth Action Independent Expenditures". OpenSecrets.
  7. ↑ "Club for Growth Action". Sunlight Foundation. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  8. ↑ McClaughlin, Seth (2013-09-28). "Club for Growth targets Sen. Mark Pryor over spending". Washington Times. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  9. ↑ Joseph, Cameron (October 8, 2013). "Pryor, Club for Growth in Arkansas ad slugfest". The Hill. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  10. ↑ Logiuratu, Brett (December 6, 2013). "One of the Longest Serving Republican Senators Just Set Up a Huge Challenge With the Tea Party Next Year". Business Insider. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  11. ↑ "Club for Growth Action". OpenSecrets. Archived from the original on 2014-01-15. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  12. ↑ Weigel, David (May 5, 2015). "Here's the Commercial the Club for Growth Will Run Against Mike Huckabee". Bloomberg. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  13. ↑ Haberman, Maggie (May 5, 2015). "Anti-Tax Group Wastes No Time Targeting Mike Huckabee". New York Times. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  14. ↑ Epstein, Reid (March 2, 2016). "Super PACS Launch Anti-Trump Ads in Florida, Illinois and Michigan". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  15. ↑ Bauer, Scott; Pace, Julie (April 1, 2016). "Trump stumbling in Wisconsin as forces coalesce against him". Frontline. PBS. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  16. ↑ Sherfinski, David (April 21, 2016). "Club for Growth Action launching $1.5 million anti-Trump ad buy in Indiana". Washington Times. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  17. ↑ Rappeport, Alan (September 22, 2015). "Donald Trump Threatens to Sue Club for Growth Over Ad Campaign". New York Times. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  18. ↑ Confessore, Nicholas; Rappeport, Alan (September 15, 2015). "Donald Trump Is Target of Conservative Ad Campaign". New York Times. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  19. ↑ Schouten, Fredreka (September 15, 2015). "Club for Growth launches ad campaign against Donald Trump in Iowa". USA Today. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  20. ↑ Adler, Jonathan (September 25, 2015). "Donald Trump v. Club for Growth". Washington Post. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  21. ↑ "Club for Growth Profile: Summary". OpenSecrets. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  22. ↑ "We Won't Know" CFG Action Ad (NC-SEN), Club for Growth Action, retrieved 2023-09-26
  23. ↑ "IRS Invasion" CFG Action Ad (NV-SEN), Club for Growth Action, retrieved 2023-09-26
  24. ↑ "Faker" Club for Growth Action Ad (NC-Sen), Club for Growth Action, retrieved 2023-09-26
  25. ↑ "Club for Growth Action PAC Donors". OpenSecrets. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
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