Koch network not sold on Pence, despite private entreaties

Art Pope, nan erstwhile chair of Americans for Prosperity and a Raleigh, N.C.-based Republican donor, said that nan determination by nan group to endorse a Trump rival “was not intended to use 1 peculiar campaigner astatine this time.” Instead, he said, nan extremity was “to find nan champion candidate, and much importantly, to beryllium nan champion president of nan United States connected nan issues that Americans for Prosperity champions.”

Pope, who attended nan play Koch confab earlier this period successful Palm Springs, Calif., said he personally believed Pence was “the champion 1 that meets those criteria.” But he said that nan statement will spell done an unfastened process to take a candidate.

A spokesperson for nan web declined to comment, referring POLITICO to nan memo. But according to 2 Republican consultants adjacent to nan network, who were granted anonymity to talk soul politics, whether Pence will beryllium nan Koch campaigner remains an unfastened question.

The efforts by Pence donors to unafraid nan Koch network’s backing underscores some nan grade to which nan 2024 cycle’s protector superior is raging and nan hurdles nan erstwhile VP faces arsenic he prepares to jump into a perchance crowded field. Few prospective 2024 Republican candidates tin boast person ties to nan Koch web than Pence, which could make an inability to unafraid its support a setback for him and different candidates who person maintained adjacent ties.

“If nan vice president were to determine to run, he would invited nan support of organizations for illustration nan Koch web that are ideologically aligned pinch him connected issues specified arsenic taxes, state of speech, and individual liberties,” a Pence advisor said.

But Pence is nary longer nan 1 of nan astir visible paragons of nan blimpish movement. Instead, he finds himself among a crowded section of nan philosophically like-minded. And arsenic nan Koch web weighs which non-Trump campaigner to endorse and bestow its resources upon, it has a bevy of imaginable options.

Though Pence has support among immoderate Koch factions, others wrong nan web favour candidates ranging from erstwhile South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to Wichita, Kan.’s ain Mike Pompeo, nan erstwhile caput of authorities who hails from nan aforesaid municipality wherever nan Koch oil-and-gas conglomerate is headquartered, and who received their backing during his legislature campaigns. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is besides said to bask a wellspring of bully will among Koch-aligned donors.

“I don’t cognize if [the determination to endorse] wholly helps [Pence],” a nationalist Republican advisor acquainted pinch nan Koch network, granted anonymity to talk their knowledge of governmental deliberations. “I don’t deliberation it helps 1 person. I deliberation it’s going to beryllium very difficult for Pence to win. I deliberation it helps everyone who is not Trump.” This personification added: “Don’t hide there’s a feline named Mike Pompeo who is very adjacent to nan Kochs and is from Wichita. There’s not 1 lead canine correct now.”

The efforts by Pence donors to unafraid nan Koch network’s backing underscores nan grade to which nan 2024 cycle’s protector superior is raging and nan hurdles nan erstwhile VP faces arsenic he prepares to jump into a perchance crowded field.

For much than a decade, Pence has cultivated a heavy narration pinch nan Kansas-based, free-market network—one that spans longer than almost immoderate different imaginable Republican candidate. Among apt contenders, Pence is nan only 1 who spoke astatine nan Koch-backed Tea Party rally connected nan National Mall connected Sept. 12, 2009, a segment he relays successful his governmental memoir So Help Me God.

As Indiana governor, Pence pushed for nan benignant of taxation cuts favored by nan network. He went connected to employment staffers connected to nan Koch world, including his apical advisor Marc Short, who near nan Koch’s Freedom Partners group wherever he was president to activity connected nan Marco Rubio statesmanlike campaign. Short still maintains adjacent ties to nan network.

In his 2012 gubernatorial bid, Pence received $200,000 successful contributions from billionaire David Koch and different $5,000 from Koch Industries. As vice president, Pence huddled pinch Koch donors successful Manhattan successful 2018 up of that year’s midterm rhythm to thief them crippled strategy.

During nan 2016 cycle, earlier Pence opted against a statesmanlike bid that twelvemonth successful favour of defending his gubernatorial seat, nan Koch web had all but anointed him arsenic their favored candidate. Last year, Pence headlined an arena for Americans for Prosperity during which he rolled backmost nan value of state to $2.38 astatine a Hobart, Ind. state station.

Pence has been hopscotching nan state connected his book circuit successful caller weeks, including a extremity earlier this week successful Houston, Texas, successful beforehand of a imaginable statesmanlike run — 1 that if it happens is apt still “months” away, according to an adviser. He is besides embroiled successful a classified documents ungraded and has been subpoenaed by a expansive jury successful relationship pinch Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation of erstwhile President Donald Trump’s push to overturn nan 2020 election.

But location is simply a consciousness wrong GOP circles that avenues beryllium for a Trump force to unafraid nan party’s statesmanlike nomination. And that’s partially because immoderate of nan main philanthropist networks and defense arms, for illustration nan Kochs’, person expressed liking successful moving connected from nan 45th president.

“They’re going to prioritize nan campaigner who values free markets, free speech, and free trade,” said Ken Spain, a partner astatine Narrative Strategies who led firm communications astatine Koch Industries. “The Koch web has typically supported candidates that bespeak their worldview. Trump was nan antithesis of that.”

Spain pointed to Pence and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott arsenic imaginable winners of nan Koch primary. In caller years, Charles Koch has expressed liking successful criminal justness and policing reform, a move that immoderate Republicans judge could constituent them to Scott, who is making calls astir a imaginable statesmanlike run and is starring nan complaint successful nan GOP Senate connected constabulary betterment measures. Scott has done respective events pinch Koch-related endeavors, but a personification adjacent to him said he wasn’t alert of immoderate caller backchannel efforts betwixt Americans for Prosperity and nan legislator regarding a 2024 bid.

“Pence and Scott person cleared nan barroom pinch nan web successful nan past,” Spain said. “They align from a free marketplace and free reside standpoint. The mobility is: Where does nan web guidelines coming and could they get down [Ron] DeSantis’ marque of conservatism?”

Winning nan Koch network’s motion would beryllium a boon for immoderate candidate: A spokesperson said nan network’s imprimatur would see monolithic grassroots infrastructure, highly targeted door-knocking, telephone calls, message and advertizing generated by their vaunted data operation i360. The web spent almost $500 cardinal backing candidates and free-market causes during 2020, and astir $80 cardinal successful nan 2022 midterms. That’s not to mention nan brick-and-mortar operations successful 36 states..

The emerging Koch superior and Pence’s uncertain opinionated contempt years of loyalty and ideological alignment points to nan network’s shifting priorities and a realpolitik desire to backmost a campaigner who tin triumph a Republican primary. As Americans for Prosperity Action CEO Emily Seidel wrote successful a memo, nan group is “prepared to support a campaigner successful nan Republican statesmanlike superior who tin lead our state forward, and who tin win.”

Natalie Allison contributed to this report