Rob Simmons: NRSC Enamored With Self-Funders
Former Rep. Rob Simmons (R), a 2010 Senate contender, is taking aim at the National Republican Senatorial Committee, accusing it of abandoning him in favor of former WWE CEO Linda McMahon because of her substantial personal wealth.
Simmons jumped into the 2010 Connecticut Senate race early in the cycle and was highly-touted by the committee. The race evolved quickly, however, as McMahon got into the race, Sen. Chris Dodd (D) announced his retirement and the popular then-Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) launched his bid.
When Blumenthal entered the race, according to Simmons, the NRSC "pulled the plug" on his campaign in favor of McMahon because she had the resources to spend millions on the race.
"As a result," he said, "my national fundraising dried up."
McMahon went on to spend nearly $50 million of her own money on her Senate run and lost by double digits.
"I'm not a billionaire," Simmons said. "But I've won races."
Simmons' remarks are reminiscent of the NRSC's most significant nuisance in 2010 -- and one that it is already working to avoid in 2012. The committee took a significant amount of flak for endorsing and supporting candidates early in the cycle, some of whom went on to lose in primaries to anti-establishment, Tea Party contenders.
The former congressman seems to be criticizing the committee for the opposite -- that they didn't interfere in his primary enough. Simmons said he asked the NRSC to stick with him after Dodd dropped out of the race, but they didn't.
The NRSC, as well as Connecticut Republicans involved in the race, say the NRSC was careful to stay on the sidelines once McMahon jumped in.
"The NRSC was neutral in this primary and our message to all of the candidates was a simple one -- this race would be decided by the Republican primary voters in Connecticut and that's exactly happened," said NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh. "If Congressman Simmons or any other good potential candidate is interested in running in 2012 we'd be happy to sit down with them but again, it's ultimately voters in their states that will decide any primary races."
But a prevailing view among GOP strategists at the time was that once Blumenthal replaced Dodd on the ballot, McMahon would be a stronger candidate than Simmons, because her resources would force national Democrats to spend on the race - money that otherwise would have gone elsewhere.
Simmons' discontent with the NRSC may explain why he took the rather odd step of lingering around the Senate race after McMahon outperformed him at the state GOP convention. Simmons suspended his campaign at that point, but didn't immediately endorse McMahon and reminded voters a month later that he was still on the primary ballot. The move appeared to be in hopes that McMahon would commit a fatal misstep, allowing Republican primary voters to flock to Simmons at the last second.
Notably, Simmons also said he hasn't ruled out running for the Senate again in 2012 when independent Sen. Joe Lieberman is up for re-election. McMahon has also made moves toward launching another bid, recently scheduling a meeting with NRSC Chair John Cornyn (R-Texas).
But Simmons is reluctant because of his experience in 2010. "I don't have a lot of confidence in them," Simmons said of the NRSC.
"My party needs to decide what it wants to do in the future," he said. "If it's convinced that the only people that can win have millions of dollars, I don't qualify."
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