Republican Main Street Partnership

The Republican Main Street Partnership (RMSP) is a group of moderate members of the United States Republican Party. They tend away from the dominant social conservatism of many Republicans and towards fiscal conservatism and limited government. The current president of the Republican Main Street Partnership is Charlie Bass, the former representative of New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district.

History

The Republican Main Street Partnership was formed following the 1994 House elections, in which conservative Republicans were swept into power. An informal discussion group formed by Representatives Nancy Johnson, Steve Gunderson, and Fred Upton later became somewhat of an organized bloc with the intent on representing the moderate wing of the Republican Party. The partnership is currently composed of moderates such as Arlen Specter and Olympia Snowe; some members would fit most of the criteria of a conservative, such as Deborah Pryce and Jerry Weller.

The Republican Main Street Partnership has allied with other moderate Republican groups, including Christine Todd Whitman's It's My Party Too, Ann Stone's Republicans for Choice, the Log Cabin Republicans, the Republican Majority For Choice, The Wish List, Republicans for Environmental Protection, and the Kansas Traditional Republican Majority.

In May 2005, the Republican Main Street Partnership helped pass the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act in the House Of Representatives; 50 Republicans voted in support of the bill, which passed 238-194.

In the 2006 elections, many members of the RMSP were defeated. This is widely attributed to the fact that moderate Republicans typically hail from constituencies with a large number of Democratic voters. Seven members from the House of Representatives were defeated in general elections by the Democrats, one (Joe Schwarz of Michigan) was defeated in a primary. Three members from the House retired as well. The RMSP also lost one senator (Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island) and governor (Robert Ehrlich of Maryland). Among the incoming Republican freshman, only one member of congress, Dean Heller of Nevada joined the caucus. Senator Bob Corker was rumored to be joining the caucus [http://www.rollcall.com/issues/52_55/news/16221-1.html] , but later clarified he would not join [http://www.humanevents.com/rightangle/index.php?id=18644&title=pathetic_moderates_resort_to_lying] .

Notable members

enators

*Norm Coleman, Minnesota
*Susan Collins, Maine
*John McCain, Arizona
*Lisa Murkowski, Alaska
*Gordon Smith, Oregon
*Olympia Snowe, Maine
*Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania

Representatives

*Judy Biggert, Illinois
*Mary Bono-Mack, California
*Ginny Brown-Waite, Florida
*Ken Calvert, California
*Dave Camp, Michigan
*Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia
*Michael N. Castle, Delaware
*Thomas M. Davis, Virginia, (Retiring)
*Charlie Dent, Pennsylvania
*David Dreier, California
*Vern Ehlers, Michigan
*Rodney Frelinghuysen, New Jersey
*Jim Gerlach, Pennsylvania
*Wayne Gilchrest, Maryland, Defeated in 2008 primary by Andy Harris
*Kay Granger, Texas
*Dean Heller, Nevada
*David Hobson, Ohio, (Retiring)
*Timothy V. Johnson, Illinois
*Randy Kuhl, New York
*Mark Kirk, Illinois
*Ray LaHood, Illinois, (Retiring)
*Steve LaTourette, Ohio
*Jerry Lewis, California
*Frank LoBiondo, New Jersey
*Jim McCrery, Louisiana, (Retiring)
*Thomas Petri, Wisconsin
*Todd Platts, Pennsylvania
*Jon Porter, Nevada
*Deborah Pryce, Ohio, (Retiring)
*Jim Ramstad, Minnesota, (Retiring)
*Ralph Regula, Ohio, (Retiring)
*Christopher Shays, Connecticut
*Mike Turner, Ohio
*Fred Upton, Michigan
*Greg Walden, Oregon
*James T. Walsh, New York, (Retiring)
*Jerry Weller, Illinois, (Retiring)
*Heather Wilson, New Mexico, Retiring/Defeated in 2008 United States Senate primary by Steve Pearce

Governors

*Linda Lingle, Hawaii
*Arnold Schwarzenegger, California

External links

* [http://www.republicanmainstreet.org/ Official website]