Leadership Trust Gears Up for Midterm Elections
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Members of the NFIB Leadership Trust stayed in Washington, D.C., an extra day after the NFIB National Small-Business Summit to get ready for this fall's midterm elections, hearing from several members of Congress and planning their grassroots strategy for November.
The NFIB Leadership Trust is an exclusive group of distinguished business leaders who support NFIB's efforts to elect pro–small-business candidates at the state and federal level and educate voters about our issues. The group's annual meeting was held this year in conjunction with the NFIB National Small-Business Summit, presented by Visa. Hundreds of small-business owner-activists came to D.C. from across the country for the dual event.
U.S. Rep. Tom Reynolds, N.Y.—Dist. 26, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, told Leadership Trust members that many pro–small-business candidates are facing tough challenges in 2006, so he is already working hard to get out the vote.
Reynolds said that NFIB and the Leadership Trust are effective and critical to supporting pro–small-business candidates.
"I want to thank you for supporting countless candidates. Those who help you, you help them; the ones who don’t, you get rid of them," he said.
Sen. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina echoed Reynolds' message of a hard year.
"There's no question the wind has been in our faces for about 15 months now," Dole said. "This is a tough cycle. A midterm is always tougher when a president has been reelected. And add the fact that we've had a tough war, Hurricane Katrina … and a number of [other factors] that have made it more difficult."
U.S. Rep. Mark Kennedy, Minn.-6th Dist., said the Leadership Trust makes a difference in elections.
"I won my first election by 155 votes," Kennedy said. "Your difference allowed me to be here, and I thank you for your involvement."
Leadership Trust members also heard from Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, who discussed how his entrepreneurial background and his understanding of the small-business way of life has brought a much needed voice to his state capitol.
"I am still at heart a solider for small business and have used my time in Annapolis to champion the cause of small business across our state," he said.
Since his term began, Steele has initiated several reforms to empower entrepreneurs, including requiring state agencies to devote 10 percent of procurement contracts to small businesses and developing programs to help small businesses network internationally and get the mentoring they need to be successful.
"Government shouldn't prevent you from achieving [your] dreams; it should create the pathway to realizing those dreams," Steele said.
Leadership Trust members also heard from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and participated in an economic briefing from NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg and Visa USA Senior Vice President of Business and Economic Analysis Wayne Best before heading home, energized for the heart of the election season.
