Republicans Pledge Partnerships with Minorities

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 18, 2013) — The Asian Pacific American Republican Network is applauding Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on the release his Growth and Opportunity Project report on Monday, with recommendations for growing the Party, in particular through ethnic minorities, and for improving Republican campaigns.

As ethnic minorities were especially lacking in Mitt Romney’s coalition and was a core reason why the former Massachusetts governor lost a winnable and relatively close race for the presidency, the Republican Party is especially keen on bonding with and engaging minorities, and affirming that the Republican Party’s values align best with those in ethnic minority communities.

The project’s co-chairs were asked to dig deep to provide an honest review of the 2012 election cycle and a path forward for the Republican Party to ensure success in winning more elections. Areas where recommendations were made for improvement include Messaging, Demographic Partners, and Campaign Mechanics.

The co-chairs met with or spoke to more than 2,600 people. They spoke to voters, technical experts, private sector officials, Party members, and elected office holders. They sought out Republicans from all ideological backgrounds. They convened in-depth focus groups with voters in Iowa and Ohio who used to call themselves Republicans, but who left the Party because they thought we weren’t conservative enough or because we were too conservative. They surveyed political practitioners at the state and national level and also conducted a survey of GOP pollsters. And more than 36,000 individuals participated in an online survey to determine priorities and to identify additional volunteers for the Party.

The Republican Party has an incredible opportunity on its hands, but the party must seize that opportunity enthusiastically. The recommendations can lead to many victorious campaigns for the Party. The Party looks forward to joining its fellow Republicans in the challenging but ultimately rewarding work ahead.