What’s Next in Congress - A Mid-Year Outlook

For the first time in modern history, the majority in the 435-member House is smaller than that of the 100-seat Senate. The razor-thin House margin includes only three GOP incumbents representing districts won by Kamala Harris—one of whom has already announced their retirement. With that context in mind, AxAdvocacy Principal of Communications Chris Pack recently spoke to the Washington Examiner’s Samantha-Jo Roth about the dangers of targeting majority-making Republicans in swing seats for not voting with the party 100 percent of the time. From the story: Chris Pack, a longtime GOP strategist and former NRCC official, said Trump-aligned influencers are short-sighted when they target lawmakers in swing districts. “When you have a Republican in a seat won by a Democrat like Kamala Harris, realizing that elected officials need to be more bipartisan in their vote should be common sense,” he explained. “But it’s not, because it’s all about getting clicks and likes and retweets for these influencers.” Chris also explained that many operatives view the primary election as the endgame—when in fact, it’s only halfway through: As the GOP charts its path forward, Pack urges the party to focus on winning general elections rather than settling scores in primaries. “Stop thinking the game ends at halftime. The game ends on Election Day in November,” he said. “You can either get a participation trophy or a vote to hold the gavel.” Read the full story HERE .

With the Supreme Court’s historic October 2024 term coming to a close, the AxAdvocacy team is pleased to share an updated version of our presentation deck detailing key cases and their potential impact on the business community.  From forum shopping to employment discrimination to parental rights, this term’s decisions will have wide-reaching effects across society. Our guide is designed to help businesses and organizations stay up to date on these issues, and enable you to plan for future legal developments that are likely to result from this set of opinions. The deck can be found here .

AxAdvocacy Welcomes Senior House Committee Staff Director Jack Ruddy as Senior Vice President of Government Relations

Chris Pack Discusses Ripple Effect of Zohran Mamdani’s NYC Mayoral Primary Win AxAdvocacy Principal for Communications Chris Pack discussed the ripple effects of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s upset victory in the New York City mayoral primary with The Hill’s Julia Manchester. Pack noted the win will fuel an ongoing shift to the left within the Democratic Party’s base. Former NRCC communications director Chris Pack said the mayoral primary results are “a powder keg” that is “waiting to explode for Democrats.” “I’ve never seen such measured responses like we have seen from people like Jeffries and Schumer. It represents an ongoing passing of the torch from the old guard of the party to the younger generation that is far more extreme in their views,” Pack said. The full story can be viewed below or by clicking HERE . Republicans target vulnerable Democrats over Mamdani: ‘They own him’ The Hill By Julia Manchester June 27, 2025 https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5372192-republicans-target-mamdani-new-york/ Republicans are seeking to use Zohran Mamdani’s apparent win in New York City’s Democratic primary to put Democrats on defense in House and Senate races ahead of 2026. A number of House Democrats facing competitive reelection bids have already moved to distance themselves from Mamdani, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) stopped short of endorsing Mamdani following his win on Wednesday. Mamdani’s affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America, coupled with other far-left-leaning views is giving Republicans fodder to target Democrats in New York and beyond. “Every Democrat in America is going to have to answer for these insane positions,” Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) told The Hill. “They own him. This is how radicalized their party has become.” The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) tied progressives in Minnesota and Michigan to Mamdani in a statement following his presumed win on Wednesday. “The grassroots Democrat energy behind socialist Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and radical Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota is a serious threat to everything Americans elected President Trump and Senate Republicans to protect,” said NRSC communications director Joanna Rodriguez. In a separate statement, National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) said every “vulnerable House Democrat will own” Mamdani. Reps. Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.) and Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), who are both facing competitive reelection bids, distanced themselves from Mamdani on Wednesday. Gillen referred to Mamdani as a “socialist” and “too extreme” in a statement, saying he is “the absolute wrong choice for New York.” Suozzi noted that the concerns he had about Mamdani prior to the primary “remain.” The two top Democrats on Capitol Hill, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) offered neutral takes on the race, congratulating Mamdani but stopping short of endorsing him. “Every race is different and everyone’s politics are different,” said Antjuan Seawright, an adviser to Jeffries. “We must give everyone breathing room to do what’s necessary in order for us to accomplish our mission in the House.” Former NRCC communications director Chris Pack said the mayoral primary results are “a powder keg” that is “waiting to explode for Democrats.” “I’ve never seen such measured responses like we have seen from people like Jeffries and Schumer. It represents an ongoing passing of the torch from the old guard of the party to the younger generation that is far more extreme in their views,” Pack said. Republicans are also trying to drag Mamdani into some of the region’s marquee governors’ races. Potential New York Republican gubernatorial candidates are also looking to cash in on Mamandani’s win. Stefanik and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) both sent out fundraising appeals, tying incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul (R-N.Y.) to the likely Democratic nominee for New York City mayor. The Republican Governors Association also sought to tie New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) to Mamdani in a statement on Thursday. “It’s not that hard to disavow socialism, and Mikie Sherrill’s official comments saying she shares the goals of Socialist Zohran Mamdani is not only absurd, but it is disqualifying, period full stop,” the group said in a statement. Sherrill noted that she has disagreements with Mamdani in a statement, but agreed with him that affordability is a major issue for voters. “Voters want leaders who understand their daily struggles and are willing to throw out the old playbook to solve them, and while I have plenty of disagreements with Mr. Mamdani, I share his voters’ goal of making life more affordable,” Sherrill said. “I’m focused on my race and bringing costs down in New Jersey.” Some Democrats who supported former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in the primary argue that the GOP attacks are a natural consequence of Mamdani’s win. “New York City primary voters have just handed Donald Trump a gift,” said Jon Reinish, a New York-based Democratic strategist. “Zohran Mamdani’s politics only translate and only are a thing in the most liberal districts in a primary.” Others note that the Mamdani’s upset win cannot be translated across the midterm map. “A Democratic primary for a mayoral race certainly doesn’t define the map or the math,” Seawright said. However, Republicans say that New York City’s sheer size and status as an economic giant allows Republicans to paint with a broad brush. “This is New York. It’s an emblem of America,” said Republican strategist Matt Beynon. “It is uniquely different.” The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) said that efforts from their counterparts at the NRCC ultimately amounted to a distraction from Trump’s legislative agenda. “The NRCC is desperate to change the subject from the big, ugly bill, because they know their plans to strip health care and food assistance from everyday Americans to give tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy will cost them the House majority,” DCCC spokesman Viet Shelton said in a statement to The Hill. And it would not be the first time Republicans sought to tie Democrats, particularly in New York, to the city’s mayor. Last year, Republicans worked to tie New York Democrats to New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) in the wake of his indictment on federal corruption charges. A number of New York-area House Democrats won their reelection bids, but Trump improved his performance in New York City and New York State last year. “It would be malpractice, frankly, not to highlight what’s going on in New York and saying this is what they want, this is the America they envision, and do you really want this?” Beynon, the GOP strategist, said.

AxAdvocacy Expands to California with Marty Wilson at the Helm of New State Practice

Chamber of Commerce Launches Ad Blitz Behind Tax Bill Newsmax Mark Swanson May 30, 2025 https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/chamber-of-commerce-ad-campaign-tax-bill/2025/05/30/id/1213004/ The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Friday announced a six-figure ad campaign in support of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that will fund President Donald Trump's domestic policy agenda. The chamber said its advertising blitz, set to begin this week, targets "misinformation" about the tax policy bill and is part of the chamber's larger advocacy centering on tax efforts. The advertising campaign will run in select states and congressional districts in the form of 32 billboards across the country and targeted paid media, the chamber said. "There is a lot of misinformation being spread about this legislation. This is part of our effort to educate the public on why the bill is good for the economy and for creating more jobs with higher wages, and we want to thank the lawmakers who are working to get this proposal enacted into law," the Chamber of Commerce's senior political strategist, Ashlee Rich Stephenson, said in the release. The budget bill passed the House by one vote and now sits before the Senate, which will take up action on it when Congress returns from recess next week. A handful of Republican senators have vowed to slash more spending than their House counterparts. The chamber said its efforts will help raise awareness on the benefits of making permanent the 2017 federal tax overhaul enacted under Trump and the importance of his pro-growth policy. The chamber also said the ad blitz will also draw "attention to those Members of Congress who are not supportive of the bill and in fact would be voting in favor of the largest tax increase in history." The ads mention 14 members of the House and two senators, the group said. It did not name names. The chamber cited a March poll that showed a majority of voters (64%) support making the tax cuts permanent. Further, the survey conducted by McLaughlin and Associates said 65% of American voters are more likely to vote for candidates who support permanent tax relief.

AxAdvocacy President Ashlee Rich Stephenson joined NewsNation recently to discuss the latest headlines, including Biden's mental decline during his time in office, the Democrat party's messaging, and President Trump's successful trip to the Middle East. View the full interview here .

AxAdvocacy Principal for Communications Chris Pack spoke with The Washington Post’s Dan Merica about the GOP’s need to simplify its messaging on Medicaid funding amid ongoing budget negotiations in Congress. To Chris Pack, a longtime Republican operative who has held top positions at the National Republican Congressional Committee and other super PACs, Republicans need to simply simplify their message. “A lot of times Republicans get wrapped around the axle having to win every single point,” said Pack, who now consults for House candidates. “Play to a draw and muddy the waters. I think that is what Republicans should do on Medicaid.” “Republicans are trying to protect and preserve Medicaid by making common-sense cuts through getting rid of fraud and abuse,” Pack said when asked about the message Republicans should be pushing. “We don’t have to just take the loss on this issue. You can go on offense. We are not trying to take away Medicaid [for those] who need it and rely on it. … Boil it down and make it simple. You don’t need to win the issue, you just have to not lose the issue.” Read the story HERE .

On Monday, May 5, over 120 guests joined AxAdvocacy in Harrisburg, PA to celebrate the grand opening of our new Harrisburg office! This marks an exciting milestone in our continued expansion across the U.S. to advance state-level government relations and advocacy. We were honored to be joined by a bipartisan group of leaders, including State Auditor Tim DeFoor; Senators Dave Argall, Tim Kearney, Tracy Pennycuick, and Frank Farry; and Representatives Donna Scheuren, David Rowe, Tom Mehaffie, Doyle Heffley, Tim Twardzik, Sheryl Delozier, John Lawrence, Parke Wentling, and Heather Boyd, among many others. Special thanks to former Secretary of the Navy and U.S. Ambassador Ken Braithwaite for attending, and to our outstanding AxAdvocacy team: President Ashlee Rich Stephenson, Principal Alex Rahn, SVP Jeff Billman, Director Reed Bourgeois, Senior Advisor Thomas Killion, and Associate Amy McGee. We’re thrilled to grow and deepen our commitment to advocacy!