Press

Whatever happens at the first Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday, whatever revelations emerge from the melee of eight (count ’em) contenders, whatever slings and arrows are thrown, and whoever is declared the winner, one thing is certain: There will be a viral moment or two; a riposte that becomes a meme. Campaign staff will be watching. And before you can say “in my prime” or “too honest,” it will end up on a T-shirt in a candidate’s store.

These days, retail politics has a whole new meaning. At a point in the electoral cycle when candidates are desperate to distinguish themselves and have only minutes onstage to do so, being able to deliver a zinger that will play on via swag is a key advantage.

Learn more and hear from ROKK’s Co-Founder and Partner Ron Bonjean in the full article in The New York Times.

Recent polls show limited enthusiasm among the public for the “anti-woke” culture war that GOP politicians have launched against corporations’ handling of environmental and social causes — including among many Republican primary voters.

The data comes as candidates who have anchored their campaigns in attacking big business — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy — are struggling to gain significant traction against former President Donald Trump, who leads the field by a wide margin in the polls.

GOP pollsters say the recent data shows that many voters on the right, in line with the traditional conservative ideology, don’t want government meddling in business. These finding are consistent with our research.

Check out the full report released last year that found that majorities in both parties oppose government limits on ESG investments, and read the full article featuring insights from Ron Bonjean, Co-Founder and Partner, at ROKK Solutions.

The former president will be in the dock in multiple trials next year while simultaneously trying to win a new term in the White House. Ron Bonjean, Co-Founder and Partner at ROKK Solutions, offered the following to the Financial Times, “Most voters do not want to relive the last presidential election, but this will be like the last presidential campaign on steroids, and nitroglycerine.” 

He also noted that Trump, “needs to be talking about the future of the country and how he will help Americans solve their problems while at the same time managing his own legal peril . . . and he historically does not like to stay on message,” says Bonjean. “The danger for him is that this could be a grievance campaign instead of one that shows a vision better than Biden’s.”
Read the full story here.

ANTI-ESG ANTIPATHY — Republican politicians who were hoping to be swept into the White House on a wave of “anti-woke” sentiment have run into unexpected headwinds in the form of voter disinterest. 

POLITICO noted that “signs of potential voter resistance have been around for awhile” and references our report released last year that found that majorities in both parties oppose government limits on ESG investments. 

Read the full article featuring insights from Ron Bonjean, Co-Founder and Partner, at ROKK Solutions.

Sen. Tim Scott’s supporters are bankrolling an eight-figure advertising blitz in key early voting states in an effort to build on his recent polling momentum in those states. Jeff Grappone, Executive Vice President, Chair of the Public Relations practice and former top communicator for the Senate GOP Conference shared his insights with ABC News on what this investment means for his campaign. 

Read the full story here.

Establishment Republicans are looking to play a more assertive role in ensuring their preferred candidates win in competitive Senate primaries as they work to flip the upper chamber next year. Jeff Grappone – Executive Vice President, Chair of the Public Relations practice and former top communicator for the Senate GOP Conference – spoke with The Hill about the importance of candidate quality. 

Read the full article here.

The on-again, off-again standoff between two famous Senate centrists and the Democratic coalition is back on. Take it from Bernie Sanders, who is watching in real time as Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) sink Sanders’ preferred pick for labor secretary. John LaBombard, Senior Vice President and a former top aide to Sinema, shared his insights in POLITICO about the impasse.

Read the full article here.

Former President Trump is stepping up his war with Senate Republicans by calling for primary challenges next year against GOP incumbents who do not support investigating President Biden’s family finances. Co-founder and partner of ROKK Solutions, Ron Bonjean, shares his insights into why the Senate Republicans are responding cautiously in The Hill.

Read the full article here.

Florida first lady Casey DeSantis took the stage in a barn full of women and mothers in Johnston, Iowa, joining Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) for the launch of Mamas for DeSantis. The event marked the movement’s transition to the national stage after its success during Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) reelection campaign for governor in 2022. Co-founder and partner of ROKK Solutions, Ron Bonjean, provides his opinions about Casey DeSantis and the campaign’s roles in DeSantis’s presidential race in Washington Examiner. 

Read the full article here.

Senate Republicans have a good chance of winning back the majority in 2024, but their odds could tumble depending on the outcome of primaries in West Virginia, Montana and Arizona. John LaBombard, Senior Vice President and a Democratic strategist, shared his prediction in The Hill regarding these primaries outcomes. 

Read the full article here.