GOP candidates suck up to VP

Pence to headline Trump hotel dinner to raise money for GOP candidates

By ALEX ISENSTADT

Vice President Mike Pence, looking to buttress his party ahead of what is shaping up to be a difficult midterm election season, will headline a high-dollar fundraising dinner Monday that is expected to net about $500,000 for his leadership PAC, according to an administration official.

The Great America Committee event, to be held at the Trump hotel in Washington, is expected to draw a number of congressional Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, the official said.

Also slated to be in attendance are Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin. President Donald Trump’s oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., is expected to introduce the vice president, the official said.

Proceeds from the event will be used to boost GOP candidates ahead of the midterms. Pence’s PAC has already begun doling out cash to Republicans in competitive races, including Senate hopefuls Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Josh Hawley of Missouri. Many of the candidates the group is supporting have aligned themselves with Trump. The vice president launched Great America Committee last year.

Pence also is preparing to embark on a cross-country campaign swing for GOP candidates, with more than a dozen political trips scheduled between now and April. On Friday, he will appear at a fundraiser for Pennsylvania Republican Rick Saccone, who is competing in a high-profile March special election for the House seat vacated by former Rep. Tim Murphy.

The dinner Monday will be part of an all-day summit the PAC is hosting at the hotel, which will draw a number of Pence's financial backers. The vice president will also speak at a lunch earlier in the day.