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Political Party/527

Republican Governors Association (RGA)

Website:

www.rga.org/
Location:

Washington, DC
Tax ID:

11-3655877
Type:

Political Organization
Formation:

1963
Executive Director:

Sara Craig Gongol
Budget (2023):

Revenue: $59,900,000
Expenses: $34,100,000
Assets: N/A 5

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The Republican Governors Association (RGA) is a political advocacy group that provides support to assist the campaigns to elect Republicans to governorship positions within the United States as well resources to support Republican governors’ efforts. 1 2

As of October 2024, Governor Bill Lee (R-TN) is the chairman of the RGA. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) is the RGA’s vice chairman. 3 4

As of October 2024, the RGA has received $54.8 million in contributions and reported $39.8 million in expenditures for the 2024 calendar year. 5

History and Leadership

The Republican Governors Association was founded in 1963 as a political organization to support the campaigns and efforts of state governors and gubernatorial candidates of the Republican Party. 6 The group’s membership includes Republican state and territorial governors. As of October 2024, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) is the chairman of the RGA. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) is the organization’s vice chairman. 3 4

Sara Craig Gongol has been the executive director of the RGA since January 2023. Her term will conclude in January of 2027. 7

Prior to joining the RGA, Gongol was the chief-of-staff to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (R). She also helped lead Governor Reynolds’ campaign operations in 2018 and 2022 and worked on the 2012 presidential campaign of former Massachusetts governor and later U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT). 7 8 9

Then-California Governor Ronald Reagan (R) was the chairman of the RGA from 1968 to 1969. 10

Activities and Funding

The Republican Governors Association is a political organization that supports the election of Republicans to governorships across the United States. The organization provides resources to support Republican governors’ efforts and campaigns. 1 2

The RGA is not affiliated with non-partisan National Governors Association (NGA) or the Council of State Governments (CSG). 11 Its Democratic Party equivalent is the Democratic Governors Association (DGA). 12

Political Activities

The Republican Governors Association is a registered 527 political organization. 13 As of October 2024, the organization has given $5,950,00 to its affiliated political action committee (PAC), RGA Right Direction, to support Republicans seeking gubernatorial roles across the United States in the 2024 election cycle. 14

The RGA is affiliated with several other nonprofit organizations and political action committees that support similar, state-level objectives. These PACs include the American Comeback Committee, RGA Right Direction PAC, State Solutions, the Republican Governors Public Policy Committee, and the RGA Freedom PAC. 15

Funding

The Republican Governors Association receives funding from individual contributions. 16 In 2023, the RGA received $59.9 million in contributions and reported $34.1 million in expenditures. 5

As of October 2024, the RGA has received $54.8 million in contributions and reported $39.8 million in expenditures. 5 During the 2024 election cycle, the organization received $3 million from the Citadel Corporation and $1 million from Molina Healthcare. 17

The RGA raised $187,793,859 and spent $209,741,310 during the 2022 campaign cycle. 18 According to OpenSecrets, top contributors or top employers reported by contributors in that cycle included the Judicial Crisis Network, Las Vegas Sands, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Sedona Magnet, and the Marcus Foundation. 19 In 2020, RGA raised $103,843,820 and spent $83,999,468. 20 Its top contributors or top employers reported by contributors in the 2020 election cycle included the Marcus Foundation, the Centene Corporation, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, the UnitedHealth Group, and Franklin Mountain Management. 21

References

  1. “Home.” Republican Governors Association. Accessed October 10, 2024. https://www.rga.org/.
  2. “About.” Republican Governors Association LinkedIn Profile. Accessed October 10, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/company/republican-governors-association/.
  3. “About.” Republican Governors Association. Accessed October 10, 2024. https://www.rga.org/about/.
  4. “RGA Announces 2024 Leadership.” Republican Governors Association. Accessed October 14, 2024. https://www.rga.org/rga-announces-2024-leadership/.
  5.  “Republican Governors Association.” ProPublica. Accessed October 14, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/527-explorer/orgs/113655877#tax_filings.
  6.  Cook, Charlie. “A New Flood of Money to Republican Senators?” The Cook Political Report. July 17, 2020. Accessed October 10, 2024. https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/national/national-politics/new-flood-money-republican-senators.
  7. “RGA Announces Sara Craig Gongol As Its New Executive Director.” Republican Governors Association. November 15, 2022. Accessed October 14, 2024. https://www.rga.org/rga-announces-sara-craig-gongol-new-executive-director/.
  8. Montellaro, Zach. “Republican Governors tap Reynolds aide as next executive director.” Politico. November 15, 2022. Accessed October 14, 2024. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/15/republican-governors-reynolds-aide-00066971.
  9. “Iowa governor names consultant Sara Gongol chief of staff.” Associated Press. December 11, 2018. Accessed October 14, 2024. https://apnews.com/general-news-bd8a36727d1b4e7d9e211c37e86f4332.
  10. “Gov. Ronald Wilson Reagan.” National Governors Association. Accessed October 14, 2024. https://www.nga.org/governor/ronald-wilson-reagan/.
  11. “A Governor’s Guide to the NGA.” National Governors Association. Accessed October 14, 2024. https://www.nga.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/A-Governors-Guide-to-NGA.pdf.
  12. “About Us.” Democratic Governors Association. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://democraticgovernors.org/about/.
  13. [1] “Republican Governors Association.” ProPublica. Accessed October 14, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/527-explorer/orgs/113655877#tax_filings.
  14. “Republican Governors Assn.” Open Secrets. Accessed October 14, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/republican-governors-assn/recipients?id=D000021051.
  15. “Republican Governors Association.” Political Organization Notice of Section 527 Status. (Form 8871). March 2024. https://forms.irs.gov/app/pod/basicSearch/downloadFile?formId=124766&formType=e8871.
  16. “Donate.” Republican Governors Association. Accessed October 10, 2024.  https://secure.winred.com/republican-governors-association/contribute?utm_source=web&utm_medium=landingpage&utm_campaign=rga&_ga=2.221855768.1843719362.1728580860-1140184060.1728580860
  17. “Top Contributors.” Republican Governors Association 2024 Contribution Information. Open Secrets. October 14, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527cmtedetail_contribs.php?cycle=2024&ein=113655877.
  18. “Overview.” Republican Governors Association, Open Secrets. Accessed October 14, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527cmtedetail.php?ein=113655877.
  19. “Top Contributors.” Open Secrets Top Contributors Information. Accessed October 14, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527cmtedetail_contribs.php?cycle=2022&ein=113655877.
  20.   “Overview.” Republican Governors Association, Open Secrets. Accessed October 14, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527cmtedetail.php?ein=113655877.
  21. “Top Contributors.” Open Secrets Republican Governors Association Information. Open Secrets. Accessed October 14, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527cmtedetail_contribs.php?cycle=2020&ein=113655877.
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Republican Governors Association (RGA)

1747 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 250
Washington, DC