Texas Republican running to lead House GOP's largest caucus

Rep. August Pfluger is jumping into the race to lead the Republican Study Committee on Tuesday, opting to make his bid official after building a policy pitch with input from most members of the policy-minded group.

Pfluger, a 46-year-old from West Texas in his second term, will begin passing his pamphlet out to offices later Tuesday, in which he leans on his leadership experience and record of being a team player.

The Texas conservative will take on Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.), a Freedom Caucus member already officially in the race. And other members could still jump in the race.

Asked to differentiate his campaign from Cline’s, Pfluger pointed to his strengths and what he believes he can bring to the table, including the ability to build consensus around ideas, listen to fellow members, and help RSC colleagues based on their strengths and interests. And he highlighted his ability to adapt quickly to changing environments and circumstances, noting he often had to do so as a longtime Air Force fighter pilot.

“I take it very seriously what members are saying. I think RSC has been the most important organization I've been a part of,” Pfluger told POLITICO in an exclusive interview, ahead of his official launch.

“In the trifecta, let's leverage the largest organization in the Republican conference to have our voice heard, and to achieve [our] agenda. … There's so much work to do to overcome what has been done in the last four years. The RSC is going to have to play a really, really large role in doing that,” he added, speaking about the potential for Republicans to control the White House and both chambers of Congress.

His vision includes reviewing Article 1 authority to Congress, “refocusing” on national security and “reimagining” the political arm of the RSC, the largest House Republican caucus. He's also preparing for an early budget reconciliation fight that RSC can lead on, and he wants to establish “RSC House rules strategy.”

As part of reimagining the RSC’s political arm, Pfluger wants to take the Conservative House Fund to “new heights” and “create a new organization to defend member votes,” his handout reads.

His plan is dependent on how the November election shakes out. The secret ballot vote for RSC chair will take place a week after the November election. Outgoing and incoming members are not able to participate. There is also a candidate forum on Sept. 18.

But don’t hold your breath for a mudslinging campaign battle. Pfluger repeatedly declined contrasting himself with Cline or other potential candidates, instead leaning on the skills he can bring to the table.

“Ben Cline is a great friend, a man of character and integrity. … We’re not running against each other. We're making a case for why we think we should be chairman,” Pfluger said.

Cline, who is similarly vowing to help enact former President Donald Trump’s agenda if he wins, told Breitbart News during his launch that he is particularly focused on fiscal responsibility while citing his role as chair of the caucus' Budget Task Force.

“This position helps to prepare you for that process of building coalitions behind conservative policies and advancing those policies forward,” Cline told the conservative outlet last month, underlining the long list of RSC chairs who held the Budget chair role before leading the group.

Cline is also leaning into the need to revise the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The Virginian voted against the reauthorization of the controversial foreign surveillance tool, while Pfluger voted in support of its passage.

Both Pfluger and Cline have allies throughout the conference and are sure to have some platform overlap as they vie for the job, which could largely boil down to relationships and their vision for the role. The current caucus leader, Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), is termed out at the end of this year.

Pfluger said in addition to Hern, he met with as many past RSC chairs as possible, including Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.). He said he will also be meeting with former Vice President Mike Pence on the matter.

Banks, who praised the competition as a sign of RSC’s relevancy, spoke highly of both candidates. But he gave a particularly glowing review of Pfluger.

“August Pfluger is respected by everybody. And when I look at the Republican conference in the house, August Pfluger is the future. I think very highly of him,” Banks said Monday night.