While still in the heart of the 2020 election campaign, David Drucker of the Washington Examiner already sees signs of Republican politicians positioning themselves for the next presidential race.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Ambassador Nikki Haley are headed to Las Vegas for a Republican Jewish Coalition conference, another in a series of early moves by each to lay the foundation for a possible 2024 presidential bid.
President Trump is headlining the RJC’s annual leadership gathering, set for March 13-15. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and several other prominent Republicans also are expected as the GOP prepares for November.
Forging relationships with RJC members could pay dividends in the party’s next contested White House primary. Many who attend the group’s annual gatherings are influential Jewish Republicans who contribute millions to GOP campaigns and causes.
“It’s one of those must-do events,” said a Republican operative who advised a GOP presidential candidate in 2016. “Sheldon [Adelson] is a big part of the RJC, and so, any candidate who is looking to curry favor with the single biggest donor in Republican politics is going to be there.”
Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire casino magnate hosting the RJC conference this month at properties he owns on the Las Vegas strip, is a top Republican donor and a member of the group’s board of directors.
The RJC has matured into a formidable organization. Invitations to the group’s annual events are coveted by rising Republican politicians, especially presidential candidates.
