The Hill News

It’s a great year to be a state Republican Party chairman.

After two consecutive election cycles where the political landscape strongly favored the Democrats, the tables have now turned as independents swing back to support the GOP on the issues most important to voters.

Every Republican candidate on November’s ballot benefits from the momentum generated by Republican wins in Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts â€" all states won by Barack Obama in 2008. Support from the Republican National Committee under the leadership of Chairman Michael Steele was of critical importance to each of these victories.

Had the Republican candidates for governor lost in either Virginia or New Jersey, or Martha Coakley won in Massachusetts, the path to victory in November would not be as clearly marked. Instead, that pathway is so brightly lit, I’m sure it keeps a few Democrats up late at night.

In my own state of California, the latest polls sh! ow a very tight race for governor and senator â€" this in a state with more than 2 million more Democrats than Republicans and is often referred to as the “Left Coast.” Indeed, the national momentum can be felt from one end of the country to the next.

What is far less visible, yet equally important, is the kind of relationship the RNC has forged with state party leaders. Most of the daily interaction between the RNC and the states takes place on the staff level, and the RNC staff takes its tone and direction from the top. Under Michael Steele’s leadership, the RNC’s staff is working as partners with state parties in mapping out and contributing to the victory programs that will register, identify, and turn out millions of voters this year. 

This isn’t an isolated facet of how the RNC is run today. It’s fundamental to an approach that encourages partnerships and collaboration within the party.

Under this national chairman, state leaders are str! ongly encouraged to share ideas and best practices.  This has! not alw ays been the case.

I served as a county chairman for nearly six years, on my state party’s board of directors for seven years, and as state chairman for three years, and have never seen the RNC working as closely with my own state party as it is today, and many of my colleagues would report the same.

It is for this reason more than any other that Chairman Steele is rightfully secure at his post, and he remains on track to be the most successful national party chairman measured in seats gained since Haley Barbour in 1994. As a quarterback, Michael Steele is a proven winner, with historic victories in Virginia, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Hawaii already part of his legacy. In politics, as in sports, people will judge the RNC chairman on the number of his championship rings, not on his completion percentage.

State and county party chairmen know what it’s like to be out on the field constantly leading the team, and they can tell a cheap shot when they see! one, especially when it’s fed by an edited video shopped around by our opponents in the Democratic Party. We can see right through that â€" another reason why Chairman Steele is going to continue leading the team to victory in November.