Conservative group pushing law and order message in state races, as Republicans seek to flip more legislatures

FIRST ON FOX: A state-level conservative group is stepping up pro-police messaging where key state legislative majorities are on the line this fall, as Republicans anticipate opportunities for key pickups in the midterms. 

The State Government Leadership Foundation (SGLF), which is connected to the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC), Monday is releasing a digital ad as part of a six-figure buy that touches six key states. The ad buy is yet another sign that Republicans appear poised to step up law and order messaging in state elections this fall. 

“Supporting America’s law enforcement has never been a debate. But liberals have quit on our cops, and put criminals first, bowing to the mob while our communities suffer the consequences,” the new SGLF digital ad says.

“There are still places where our police are supported and criminals are held accountable,” the ad continues. “Where safety isn’t a sacrificed. Because backing the blue means backing the best of us. A conservative America is a safe America.” 

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The six target states are notably all on the RSLC’s target list for the midterms. 

Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and New Hampshire are states the RSLC announced are priorities for defending GOP majorities. Colorado and Minnesota, meanwhile, are states it’s targeting to potentially flip legislative chambers. 

“What this ad campaign is doing is reminding the American people what policies support law enforcement, what states are doing that, what leaders are doing that, and that’s conservative leaders” SGLF communications director Andrew Romeo told Fox News. 

That’s in contrast to liberal leaders, Romeo said, who “have made the decision that all law enforcement are bad and we’re going to vilify them. We’re going to put criminals above law enforcement, and we’re going to do that in our policies. And that’s exactly why they’re getting a surge in crime in places like Colorado and Minnesota.”

Republicans are already in a strong position in state legislatures after a successful 2020 cycle on the state level. They control 61 state legislative chambers compared to Democrats’ 37, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. 

This includes several states that voted for President Biden in 2020, including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Arizona. Minnesota is the only state in the country which has split control of its legislative chambers. Both of Colorado’s legislative chambers are controlled by Democrats.