Americans for Prosperity, a political action group funded largely by the Koch brothers, has announced they will not support Corey Stewart for Senate. This could be a large financial blow to the Stewart campaign. In 2017 Americans for Prosperity (AFP) spent $2.6 in Virginia in an effort to defeat Ralph Northam for Governor. They also spent $20 million to help push Trump’s tax cuts through Congress.
This year AFP endorsed Nick Freitas in his recent primary run against Corey Stewart. AFP President Tim Phillips said,
“As a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, Nick Freitas has been a strong voice for the people of Virginia. He has a record of supporting policies that promote freedom and empower people to improve their lives and communities. We urge Virginians to support him.”
The AFP spent over $340,000 on the Freitas campaign.
From the Richmond Times-Dispatch on why AFP will not support or endorse Corey Stewart,
JC Hernandez, Virginia state director for Americans for Prosperity, said the group works with candidates that advance its initiatives.
Stewart’s support for tax increases as chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors is one thing that rules him out, he said.
“When we look at the entire picture across the country, who are the folks that we can work with who are going to help us push those agenda items?”
50 comments
OK, I have waited long enough, why hasn’t anyone mentioned the silver lining in the AFP denying Corey? Think about it, and I hope Corey’s campaign staff has thought of this, AFP refusing to support Corey takes several bullets out of the Dem’s guns. How can they use one of their principal campaign tactics, namely claiming the Koch Brothers money and influence is being used to undermine of American democracy if Corey is getting none of that money and has been shunned by what is in the Dems view, Satan incarnate.
[…] According to the Bull Elephant, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) spent $2.6 million in Virginia on behalf of establishment Republican Ed Gillespie as he tried to defeat Ralph Northam for Governor last year. They will be withholding their big money for Stewart, whose support of America First and border security contradicts their push for illegal immigration and globalist trade agreements. “When we look at the entire picture across the country, who are the folks that we can work with who are going to help us push those agenda items?” said JC Hernandez, who works as Virginia state director for AFP. […]
Kochs are spending tens of millions to support Democrats who push open borders. So that’s why they aren’t supporting Stewart.
And Convention of States???
So AFP (for a few Americans) does not want to assist funding the Stewart Campaign and or apparently all Virginia Republican Candidates.
The RPV Chairman Whitbeck (Fund raiser) is calling for a unity of support for all Republican Candidates from Virginians.
Does anyone within the RPV and or the Candidates understand that support is a two way street and cannot be successful if support only comes from the voter in November and then no support is given to the voter when the Candidates are elected?
Why bother then.
Sometimes things have to see the bottom so then they can ***work*** honestly
back to the top.
Apparently some posters here don’t realize that organizations do not have unlimited money to throw at candidates. They pick the candidates where the money will have the most impact (like Middle Resolution does). Anyone who has been paying attention knew that Corey wouldn’t have a chance against Kaine. Sure Brat and Trump won against tough odds, but they ran against unpopular candidates. Kaine doesn’t have that liability. He will win big. Stewart supporters just guaranteed Kaine six more years.
You do realize that Kaine was part of the unpopular candidate ticket. Of course he has that liability and will have to explain it.
Hey, I have an idea! John Whitbeck should call Tim Phillips and reiterate his message of Unity!
Hahaha
So, I guess that means they’re supporting Kaine.
Nope. It means they won’t give money, or mobilize volunteers, to help either candidate in Virginia. They will put their resources elsewhere.
Which supports Kaine.
It seems the people got their taste of open borders and “free” trade and realized it made most of them poorer and a tiny elite richer and don’t want what AFP and GOP is selling anymore. Interesting times.
Well – I will no longer support AFP!
How much money do you typically give them in a year? Will they miss it?
Come on! Honestly! AFP is totally a self-funded operation. It is, in effect, a private lobbying organization operating under cover public interest status. The whole purpose of AFP is to increase the political clout of the Koch business interests in Washington. And it is in no way a matter of ‘how much money do you give to AFP’ as a measure of anything except blindness and stupidity. In point of fact, any ‘public service’ aim of AFP is secondary or tertiary to the prime aim of the usefulness of AFP to Koch business interest.
They gave out a lot to attract supporters. I’ve got 3 of their t-shirts. They organized phone calling and buses to Richmond to oppose Medicaid expansion. That issue is now gone anyway.
And I’ll bet you are a big donor too. We need AFP more than they need us.
Stop with the invective and try to get past this to support all of our candidates.
I am supporting all of our candidates. My comment was about you not supporting AFP.
They are well-funded. What they wanted out of us was time, going to rallies, phone banking….
I’d better not see them at any more Republican events. More blood money against the party.
Not too bright are they with playing in the Primary then flipping off Chairman Whitbeck after his unity appeal.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
I look forward to seeing them at Republican events and (politely) telling them why I will no longer be participating in their efforts.
You are a better person than I. Organizations that play in our primaries and then don’t support our nominee don’t deserve a place at our events. I don’t want their money and will express this to our GOP leadership.
I guess that you have to be able to be bought.
What is the point or implication here? Is it that we should cater to those who can splash around the largest amounts of cash? Is it that AFP might be a final arbiter of candidate worthiness according to the magnitude of cash it splashes in any particular direction?
AFP is big on arguments of public policy, but never a squeak as to the legitimacy of any particular line of public policy by way traditional constitutional understanding.
Above,
The state director said;
“the group works with candidates that advance ***it’s*** initiatives”.
The director said exactly who or what they were in it for, themselves,
Not the people.
So where does AFP obtain all there funding, not from households.
Interesting comment … and close to what I suspected from the beginning, more about them. And I don’t see how ‘more about them’ is going to unhinge us from things like the Globalism, the Police State, and a rampant predilection for all manner of Marxist/Socialist legislative initiatives flooding into all of our legislative bodies.
Okay! I give you that APF does employ people to do their work. But I also give you that all the un-paid Ants in the Koch Ant Army would be far much better off working for themselves than for the Koch brothers. That is, if the people want better, they are going to have to do it themselves … from the way they educate their children all the way up to how the machinery of government works, and for whose benefit.
Not a game changer that we do not get establishment money!
Where will the money come from? Kaine has raised $17 million and has $10 million on hand. Corey has less than $200 on hand. How does Corey compete with Kaine? Where does the money come from?
Where did the money come from to fight the American War for Independence? Certainly it was not paid for by the British!
With such thinking as is on exhibition here, Washington would have never crossed the Delaware.
How cute. Such an apt analogy. Perhaps Corey can paddle across the James. Bless your heart.
Thanks! I’m always up for a good Heart Blessing!
I like it, Corey does transcend politics as usual.
Is Queen Victoria still around?
Hillary and the left outraised Trump and the right. Corey will get all the money he needs.
Actually he won’t.
We shall see.
If it’s just about the best representation money can buy then we are all just wasting our time.
I trust the American voters.
What a crock. Taxes have nothing to do with it, and are misrepresented. Open borders and amnesty have everything to do with it.
So the AFP doesn’t know what they support?
Not what I said. I said they’re lying. Twice.
This guy did his homework on Stewart’s tax record… https://bearingdrift.com/2018/06/06/fact-checking-corey-stewarts-record-on-taxes/
Cherry-picking final votes.
If Corey were to have flipped his vote on each, what would have been the outcome?
I don’t think the AFP was a big fan of President Trump. This comes as no surprise.
No surprise, but not helpful to the Stewart campaign.
bad PR for sure
Yes – bad PR for AFP when we stop showing up for their events.
Something tells me they won’t miss you.
I think it’s time to end the hatred fixation on candidate Stewart. You’re following the same “sky is falling pattern” displayed during the presidential campaign. APF has always been more AstroTurf than grass roots but I have supported the organization and attended some of their events. They decided not to support Stewart – you’re not supporting Stewart fine. But he is the party’s candidate. It would be more productive if your blog we’re deployed as a tool where we could discuss why Time Kaine is such a bad senator for the state of Virginia. BTW – I would bet that the majority of AFP supporters are going to pull the lever for Stewart this fall – begging the question – who do they (AFP) really represent?
And flip over the welcome mat.