Trump appointee at the head of RNC prepares to support at-risk Republicans in New York

Six House races in New York are believed to be up for grabs for both Republicans and Democrats. With five of them being held by first-term Republican lawmakers, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley is working hard to ensure that the party does not lose ground to Democrats in November.

Following a Tuesday meeting with House Republicans, Whatley said the party will be honing in on pivotal races in historically blue states such as New York and California. Hand-picked by former President Donald Trump, Whatley replaced Ronna McDaniel following her departure in March.

The RNC’s renewed efforts to assist New York Republicans critical to the GOP’s House majority comes as Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) reportedly hounded Whaley on the importance of giving those seats extra attention. Stefanik is the longest-serving New York Republican in the House and is a top contender for Trump’s pick for vice president.

“The path to the House majority runs through New York, and we are committed to holding the line to deliver a Republican House to work with President Trump to save America,” Stefanik, the House GOP Conference chairwoman, told Politico.

Last year, Stefanik said she received approval from her party to invest $100 million in key battleground races in New York. Meanwhile, Democrats are expected to drop at least $45 million in New York this election cycle.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has attended fundraising events for New York Republicans, such as Reps. Marc Molinaro (R-NY) and Brandon Williams (R-NY). He emphasized at the National Republican Congressional Committee’s office in February that Williams’s race may be a deciding factor for which party controls the House.

“This is one of the districts that is going to decide the fate of the country,” Johnson said. “This district may very well be one of the decision points on whether we keep the majority, grow the majority in the House.”

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Meanwhile, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sees the RNC and Stefanik’s efforts as leading New York Republican representatives astray.

“Michael Whaley and Elise Stefanik are two MAGA extremists who are leading vulnerable New York Republicans to pledge allegiance to their dangerous, far-first party, making them increasingly vulnerable along the way,” DCCC spokesperson Ellie Dougherty told Politico.