Top House GOP super PAC taps new president

Chris Winkelman, the top staffer at the House Republican campaign arm, will be the new president of the Congressional Leadership Fund.

Winkelman will replace Dan Conston, who has led the super PAC for six years and announced Monday he will be stepping down. CLF, the largest House GOP super PAC, is endorsed by Speaker Mike Johnson.

As its leader, Winkelman will court major party donors and direct hundreds of millions of dollars in ad spending to help Republicans grow their narrow majority. He spent three cycles as general counsel for the National Republican Congressional Committee before taking over as its executive director in 2023.

His tenure at the NRCC has given him strong relationships with members and the chairman, Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.). And he is known to be close with Johnson, who assumed the speakership in late 2023.

"Chris Winkelman helped lead the fight to defend Republicans' House majority at the NRCC and will be a strong force leading the Congressional Leadership Fund to build on those efforts in the next election cycle,” Johnson said in a statement.

Winkelman is an expert on campaign and finance law, including the intersection of party committees, super PACs, nonprofits and candidates’ campaigns.

He was heavily involved in courting donors at the NRCC, but leading the top super PAC will require a different kind of fundraising. CLF and its sister nonprofit, American Action Network, can accept much larger checks from donors. Conston had close ties to the massive GOP donor network, which he developed over his term.

“Chris will be a fantastic leader who will take what’s been built and grow CLF to even greater levels,” Conston said, praising his “sharp political acumen and legal mind.”

Winkelman is known for keeping a lower media profile and working quietly behind the scenes. Republicans maintained their House majority this year despite having a tough map, forced to defend more than a dozen incumbents in districts that Joe Biden won.

This story first appeared in the Morning Score Newsletter. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You’ll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day’s biggest stories.

Topics

Trump changes White House counsel pick, tapping David Warrington

President-elect Trump on Wednesday announced a change in his choice to serve as White House counsel in his upcoming administration, tapping his top campaign lawyer, David Warrington, for the job. ...
The Hill - 1h
House Democrats fighting for younger members in top posts

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland is challenging Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York to be the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. Is this race the beginning of a new generation of Democratic ...
CBS News - 21h
A top GOP senator predicts Trump’s picks will get FBI background checks

Politico - 1d
Senate Democrats prepare to tap leadership for new minority era

Politico - 1d
Lobbying World: YouTube taps new federal affairs manager

Andrew Meyer has joined YouTube as manager of federal affairs. He was most recently legislative director for Rep. Greg Pence (R-Ind.). Will Lemke is joining Monument Advocacy as vice president of ...
The Hill - 9h
Watch live: House GOP leadership holds presser after Hunter Biden pardon

House Republican leaders will brief the press Wednesday morning, as the GOP prepares to transition to full leadership of Congress and the White House. Their presser follows President Biden's recent ...
The Hill - 6h
California Democrat flips final House seat, dealing Republicans narrow majority

With Trump picks leaving vacancies, Republicans could have a 217-215 majority -- the narrowest GOP majority in history -- when the 119th Congress convenes on Jan. 3.
ABC News - 51m
Apple Podcasts – Top New Shows

Apple Podcasts charts for week ending Dec. 2
ABC News - 1d
Jamie Raskin challenges Jerry Nadler for top Democratic spot on House Judiciary panel

Rep. Jamie Raskin, who served as the lead Democratic prosecutor in Donald Trump's second impeachment trial, will challenge Rep. Jerry Nadler for House Judiciary chairman.
NBC News - 2d