
查理·柯克遇刺一年后,他为年轻保守派创立的组织正在一个摇摆州扩大其政治运作,该州在联邦层面上常常让共和党难以得手。
One year after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, the organization he founded for young conservatives is building out its political operation in a purple state that has often evaded Republicans’ grasp at the federal level.
根据其活动人士和新罕布什尔州政治观察者的网络帖子,新罕布什尔州似乎已成为Turning Point Action中期工作的重点。
New Hampshire appears to have become a centerpiece of Turning Point Action’s midterm work, according to online posts from its activists and political observers in the Granite State.
Turning Point的一名野外代表本月早些时候发布了她举办的“导航新罕布什尔州缺席选票流程”培训的照片。另一名代表发布称,她正在将300块支持共和党参议员候选人约翰·E·苏努诺的标语牌装进她的车里。
One Turning Point field representative posted photos earlier this month of a training she held on “navigating NH’s absentee ballot process.”Another posted that she was loading 300 signs for Republican Senate nominee John E. Sununu in her car.
“社会主义行不通!”新罕布什尔州议员琳达·麦格拉思在她汽车后备箱前的一篇帖子中写道。“而且现在加入新罕布什尔州的Turning Point Action团队还不算晚!”苏努诺是一名温和的前参议员,正在与民主党众议员克里斯·帕帕斯竞争,在某种程度上,他对该组织来说是一个非传统候选人,该组织或许最为人所知的是其与特朗普白宫和副总统JD·万斯的紧密联系。但在这里所奠定的基础,随着共和党希望翻转该席位并保持其在参议院中的53-47多数,可能会超越今年的中期选举。
“Socialism doesn’t work!” wrote Linda McGrath, a New Hampshire state representative, in a post in front of her car trunk. “And it’s not too late to join the Turning Point Action team in New Hampshire!”Sununu, a moderate ex-senator running against Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, is in some ways an unconventional candidate for the group, which is perhaps best known for its strong alliances with the Trump White House and Vice President JD Vance. But the groundwork that’s being laid here, as Republicans look to flip the seat and hold onto their 53-47 majority in the Senate, could carry beyond this year’s midterms.
新罕布什尔州的几名Turning Point员工拒绝讨论他们的工作,其中一人告诉CNN:“我没有时间或兴趣。”苏努诺的竞选团队也未回应置评请求。但Turning Point Action的首席运营官泰勒·鲍耶尔今年早些时候告诉CNN,该组织将向该州投入大量资源。
Several Turning Point staffers in New Hampshire declined to discuss their work, with one telling CNN, “I am not available or interested.”Sununu’s campaign also did not respond to requests for comment. But Tyler Bowyer, the chief operating officer for Turning Point Action, told CNN earlier this year that the organization would devote significant resources to the state.
“我们正在为共和党在新罕布什尔州投入有史以来最大的地面力量,”他在7月份说。“我们已经在那里有数十名全职人员在一线工作,所以这非常重要。新罕布什尔州的投票率相当于中等到大型城市的规模。所以,我认为我们的胜算很大。”根据该组织的网站,新罕布什尔州是Turning Point的“追逐选票”计划的一部分,包括“承诺100”,该计划将“帮助亲自追逐选民”。Turning Point还在宣传“超级追逐”活动,这些活动重点在于帮助投票意愿较低的选民投出选票。
“We’re putting the biggest ground force that’s ever been put on the ground in New Hampshire for Republicans,” he said in July. “We’ve already got dozens and dozens of full-time people on the ground there, so that’s huge. New Hampshire turnout-wise is like the size of a medium-sized to large-sized city. So, I like our chances.”According to the organization’s website, New Hampshire is part of Turning Point’s Chase the Ballot initiative, including “Commit 100,” which will “help chase voters in person.”Turning Point is also advertising “super chase” events which focus on helping low-propensity voters cast their ballots.
该组织依赖当地活动人士来推动其宣传工作,前新罕布什尔州共和党主席克里斯·阿格尔表示。
The group is relying on local activists to help fuel its outreach, former New Hampshire Republican Party Chair Chris Ager said.
“我参加了他们的一次培训,我看了看人群,心想,‘我认识很多人,’”阿格尔说。“他们正在雇佣了解该州并在一线工作的活动人士。我对他们雇佣了解该州的人印象深刻。”Turning Point的存在可能对苏努产生影响,他来自该州一个知名的政治世家,他的父亲和兄弟曾担任州长,新罕布什尔州的共和党策划师迈克尔·比恩多表示,他曾参与特朗普2016年的竞选活动。
“I went to one of their trainings and I looked at the crowd and I was like, ‘I know a lot of these people,” Ager said. “They’re hiring activists who know the state and have been on the ground. I was so impressed that they’re hiring people who know the state.”Turning Point’s presence could make a difference for Sununu, who hails from a well-known political dynasty in the state, with his father and brother having served as governor, said Michael Biundo, a GOP strategist in New Hampshire who worked on Trump’s 2016 campaign.
“我认为,亲自挨家挨户敲门、与选民谈论他们的信念和感受……这只能起到帮助作用,而且在我认为将会非常激烈的竞争中,这将非常有帮助,”比恩多说。
“I think quality door-knocking with a person, talking to a voter about what they believe, what they’re feeling … that can do nothing but help, and would be very helpful in what’s going to be, I think, a very tight race,” Biundo said.
埃里卡·柯克在丈夫去世后接管了他的组织,她已经支持万斯,如果他在2028年作为特朗普的继任者参选的话。万斯和其他共和党潜在候选人可能会从该组织已经在一线建设的工作中受益。
Erika Kirk, who took over her husband’s organization following his death, has already endorsed Vance if he were to run as Trump’s successor in 2028. Vance and other GOP hopefuls could potentially benefit from the organization it is already building on the ground.
“如果有大量的基层活动正在进行,并且这些活动在未来可以被利用,我认为这是件好事,”新罕布什尔州政治研究所所长尼尔·勒韦斯克说。“话虽如此,如果他们在进入2028年时建立起一个非常庞大的数据库,那对这个组织来说将非常有价值。”
“If you’ve got a lot of ground activity going on, and it’s something that can be utilized in the future, I think that’s a good thing,” Neil Levesque, director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics said. “That being said, if they create a hell of a database going into 2028, that’s going to be very valuable for that organization.”