EXCLUSIVE — The National Republican Congressional Committee has placed more than 40 grassroots volunteer headquarters in battleground districts across the country ahead of a contentious fight to preserve the narrow GOP majority, and the committee is opening nearly 10 more in the coming weeks, the Washington Examiner has learned.
Republicans are running back their “battle station” playbook that found success in 2024, when Republicans held on to the majority despite a drama-filled Congress that led to Kevin McCarthy’s removal as speaker of the House.
“The Republican ecosystem has built a grassroots machine that Democrats simply can’t match,” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella told the Washington Examiner. “With NRCC Battestations across the House map, a sophisticated boots-on-the-ground effort, and a massive field operation built to win, Republicans are going directly to the voters who will decide this election and building the turnout operation to grow our House majority in November.”
Each battle station program allows a centralized place for staff, volunteers, and grassroots activists in competitive congressional districts across the country. These offices are spread across districts with both incumbents the campaign arm is protecting labeled “NRCC Patriots” and districts they are fighting to flip in the “MAGA Majority” program.
The NRCC has also worked with the Republican National Committee on these field efforts aiming to energize voters. The RNC has offices across Texas, for example, in which all staff is bilingual. The effort resembles the Latino outreach centers the committee opened in 2022 in Hispanic-heavy areas. Republicans flipped both chambers that year.
Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) cross-country traverse concluded this week in Texas, where the NRCC currently has four offices, three of which are in Democratic-held seats. The speaker campaigned with the GOP candidate in each of these four districts.
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Along with an office in Rep. Monica De La Cruz’s (R-TX) district, there is an office in the district held by Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), as well as Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), both major flip opportunities for the GOP in the Rio Grande Valley. Cuellar will face Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina and Gonzalez will face Eric Flores, both top recruits for the GOP.
Republicans are also fighting to win Texas’s 35th District, a newly-formed seat outside of San Antonio that would have voted for President Donald Trump by over 10 points after the gerrymander made the seat favorable for Republicans. Despite the new map making this a good pickup opportunity for Republicans, the party views the race as competitive, evidenced by Johnson’s appearance this week with Carlos De La Cruz, the Republican nominee for the district and brother of Monica De La Cruz.