ELECTION/GOP/POLICY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Heritage Action for America, the political arm of the Heritage Foundation, has spent years getting Republicans riled up in policy fights. Now the group is trying something new: getting GOP lawmakers elected. Founded in 2010, Heritage Action spent its early years stirring controversy as it pushed GOP leaders and lawmakers to take a more combative approach in negotiations with former President Barack Obama, a Democrat. But with President Donald Trump, a Republican, in office, the group is recalibrating its strategy and, for the first time, getting significantly involved in congressional elections…To change that, Heritage Action plans to spend $2.5 million, starting in early September, to help Republicans win in 14 congressional districts. The group plans to use its money on direct mail and digital ads promoting how the tax law passed by Republicans last December is benefiting voters there. Additional money raised could be used on television ads, said the group’s vice president, Jessica Anderson. The hope is that the campaign efforts will create allies on Capitol Hill and give Heritage Action positive incentives to wield, rather than negative scorecards for Republicans whose voting records are viewed as insufficiently conservative.”
-Kristina Peterson, “Heritage Action Advocacy Group Shifts to Bolstering GOP Candidates,” The Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2018 8:02 am