By Alan Novak
Having served 8 years as Pennsylvania Republican State Committee Chairman (1996-2005), I think I know the position, the role, the responsibilities and the skill sets required to be an effective and winning state chair.
First, I strongly support Val DiGiorgio and think he will be an effective and smart choice for Chair of Pennsylvania’s Republican State Committee. He comes from a county chair background and the experience as Chester County Chair will serve him well as state chair.
A party chairman is a leader with a keen sense of operations, staffing, mission, and fundraising. I always thought of myself as the coach of the team—the candidates were the players, the county party committees were the infrastructure.
Val thinks the same way. He is an “operations and apparatus guy.” That is what a good state chair should be—as well as a fearless, tireless, bold and persistent fundraiser. He knows that the Republican infrastructure can be strengthened. You do that by training and working with the county GOP committees to improve their operations.
This election resulted in historic gains to the Republican Senate and House majorities while maintaining the 13-5 Republican advantage in our PA congressional delegation.
With those gains, there is a phenomenal opportunity right now to realign the state Republican apparatus consistent with not only the Trump Pennsylvania victory, but to continue to capitalize on voting trends in PA that favor Republican congressional and legislative candidates and county candidates.
Val understands this well. He has contributed to these majorities by ensuring Republican victories in Chester County.
The challenge for PA Republicans is the elections in 2018 where southeast Republican Senate and House seats will be the battleground as well as the Governor and US Senate election.
Sounds like a big challenge, but Val is well prepared to handle a big challenge because the Chester County GOP plate is always full every election cycle.
With the Governor’s race coming in 2018 I anticipate a bevy of Republican candidates seeking the position. That means the GOP State Committee process will have to be fair, transparent and effective.
That is the Chester County candidate selection process is most like what an effective state committee process should be. Val knows that process and has successfully managed and led that process.
I always thought my experience as the Chester County Chair prepared me well to manage and lead the state committee process, and Val’s experience will serve him well in that regard.
The State GOP Chair will have to work cohesively and collaboratively with the Republican House and Senate leadership and their respective campaign operations. Again, Val’s Chester County experience has prepared him to do this as our County and Val has been working with these folks for years.
It is not easy being a party leader today—the challenges and divisions are more difficult today. Val has dealt with similar challenges in Chester County.
Chester County has been a good political breeding ground for Republican State Committee. Three state chairs including Marth Bell Schoenenger, Earl Baker and myself, have all earned our political stripes in Chester County.
Justice William Lamb also served several years as Vice-Chair of State Committee during some very successful cycles. Also, my friend Skip Brion served as a leaders and officer of the State Committee.
We have all learned from each other, encouraged each other, and supported each other.
I’m confident Val is ready to do this. He will make a real good State Committee Chair.
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Alan Novak, a West Bradford native, rose from the ranks of a soda jerk at his uncle’s Coatesville pharmacy to Chair of the Chester County Republican Party and the longest serving Chairman of Pennsylvania’s Republican State Committee. Aside from serving on numerous business, community and university boards across Chester and Montgomery Counties, Novak is the president and founder of Novak Strategic Advisors, a political consulting and lobbying firm headquartered in Harrisburg.
