Republican group puts PA on its 2026 state legislative target list
The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) is bullish on Pennsylvania.
Despite the Democrats’ popular and well-funded governor at the head of the ticket this year, the RSLC believes Republicans can take back the state House and hold their majority in the Senate.
How? With an emphasis on local issues, excellent candidates, and funding to keep them in the ballpark with their Democratic opponents.
“Democrats and their well-funded machine will pour massive resources into Pennsylvania in their bid to take control of Harrisburg,” said RSLC Press Secretary Matt Laux. “We know this is an uphill fight, but state Republicans have built the infrastructure to hold the line. Through targeted outreach and a focused vote-by-mail effort, we’ve expanded our base, brought in hundreds of thousands of first-time mail voters, and significantly cut into Democrats’ advantage.”
Laux believes “Project doorstrike” is the way to engage grassroots voters by meeting with voters and discussing the local issues they care about.
The RSLC believes the “volatile electorate” offers a way for the GOP to break through and win, as long as they have the right messaging. An internal survey showed that about a third of the voters believe the country is on the wrong track, which shows dissatisfaction with both parties. National news plays a big role in this mood, they believe.
Voters see gridlock and few results from Washington, D.C., politicians. Also, 61 percent of the electorate prefers candidates who are not current officeholders.
However, Republicans are trusted more on the issues that most voters care about, growing the economy and creating jobs — 44 percent to 42 percent — and a big edge on public safety at 47 percent to 38 percent.
Also, nearly half of the voters polled say they are willing to split their tickets.
In Pennsylvania, the stakes are high.
If Democrats secure the House, Senate, and governorship, “that change would give them unilateral authority to redraw Pennsylvania’s congressional maps and tilt the delegation toward Democrats for years to come,” the RSLC said in a press release.
Laux declined to say how much money the RSLC has on tap for Pennsylvania candidates. But they will invest early in key races, along with targeting absentee and early voting, and data-driven strategies.
But Democrats will “outraise and outspend Republicans in nearly every competitive state legislative race.” The Democrats have a large network of national donors and “liberal megadonors,” the RSLC said.
“In 2020, national Democrat affiliate groups spent $98 million, outspending Republicans by at least two-to-one. In 2024, spending from the constellation of national liberal groups swelled to $175 million compared to the RSLC’s $49 million, with Democrats spending more in the final weeks alone than Republicans did over the entire cycle,” the organization said.In 2025, Democrats held a two-to-one spending edge in battleground districts in Virginia, while it approached three-to-one in New Jersey. In many of the country’s most expensive media markets, that advantage allowed Democrats to dominate the airwaves and define races early,” the RSLC said.
Linda Stein is an award-winning journalist who’s written for newspapers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Arizona. Before joining Fideri News Network, she was the news editor for Delaware Valley Journal. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Temple University and earned her undergraduate degree from Arcadia University. Contact her at lstein@fiderinews.com.
