Former Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell is among Republican leaders nationwide who launched the Georgia Battleground Fund to raise funds to protect two U.S. Senate seats and maintain the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate. Parnell had a fundraiser on Wednesday on Zoom, attended by dozens of Alaskans.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee had named 50 state chairs and co-chairs; Parnell is the chair for Alaska’s effort.
In addition to the former governor, Gov. Doug Ducey and Sen. Jon Kyle of Arizona, Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, former Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and former Rep. Steve Pearce of New Mexico are among the state chairs named.
During the meeting, Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, Congressman Don Young, and Gov. Mike Dunleavy spoke and took questions for 30 minutes.
“The primary message is if we as Alaskans want our senators to continue to have the committee positions they have in the majority, where they can do the best and most for Alaskans, then these Georgia Senate seats are vital,” Parnell said.
If Republicans win one of the two, then the Republicans are at 51 in the Senate. If the Democrats win both seats, then Senate would be in a 50-50 split, with presumed Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, a Democrat, being the tie-breaking vote.
The donation site for Alaskans to use is active at winred.com.
Republican strategist Karl Rove, who was a top political adviser to President George W. Bush, is the fund’s national finance chairman for the fund, which is being led by Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, outgoing chair of the NRSC, the reelection arm of the Senate Republicans.
Others lending their names to the cause are House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and former Vice President Dan Quayle.
Read: Senate Republicans tout major investment in Georgia runoff elections
Georgia will hold its Jan. 5 runoff election for two seats, as the state’s election laws direct a runoff must be held if no candidate reaches 50% of the vote.
Sen. David Perdue won 49.75%, while his Democrat challenger, Jon Ossoff, was 87,000 votes short.
In the other race, appointed Sen. Kelly Loeffler won 26% of the vote in a 20-candidate special election to fill out the last two years of the term of former Republican Sens Johnny Isakson. Democrat Raphael Warnock won 33% of the vote.
