Vance-Aligned Group Begins 2028 Republican Candidate Push
American Ascent launched on November 9, 2026, six days after Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections. The new 501(c)(4), led by Ryan Neuhaus, who previously served as chief of staff at the Heritage Foundation, aims to help Republicans win congressional seats in 2028 and promote younger candidates in races it believes need new energy.
The group is not affiliated with Vice President JD Vance, a potential 2028 presidential contender. Its partners include Turning Point Action, which has endorsed Vance for president, and the Claremont Institute. Neuhaus said the project would not be a Vance political operation, while describing its political outlook as closely aligned with the vice president’s. The American Leadership PAC, led by Vance and Donald Trump Jr. aide Andy Surabian, is also working with the group.
Neuhaus said American Ascent would prepare young candidates to seek higher office, including in races against Republican incumbents if they choose to run. He named Vance, Gill, Schmitt and Yarbrough—respectively a vice president, a representative, a senator and a representative-elect—as examples of figures who could appeal to the party’s base. Claremont chair Thomas Klingenstein is understood to be providing $12 million to fund the group’s launch. Jackson Hines, a nephew and former aide of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary overseeing health and human services, is also joining the project.
Vance Allies Turn GOP Losses Into a Push for Younger Candidates
After Republicans lost control of both chambers in the midterms, a new political operation tied to Vice President JD Vance’s allies is already working to reshape the party for 2028. American Ascent launched on November 9, with Ryan Neuhaus, who previously served as chief of staff at the Heritage Foundation, leading its effort to promote younger Republican candidates.
The group says it is not affiliated with Vance, but its partners include Turning Point Action, which has endorsed him for president, and a political PAC led by aide Andy Surabian, who has worked with Vance and Donald Trump Jr. That distinction matters: the project can deny being Vance’s operation while advancing a political vision Neuhaus says is closely aligned with his.
Neuhaus says American Ascent will prepare candidates to run even against sitting Republicans. Its stated aim is to replace what it sees as repeated, aging candidates with younger figures who can energize the base. That approach could open another internal fight in a party already confronting the consequences of its election losses. Claremont Institute chair Thomas Klingenstein is understood to be supplying $12 million to fund the launch.
New Republican Group Targets 2028 With Fresh Candidate Push
Republicans need candidates who can reconnect with voters, and American Ascent is setting out to find them. The group launched on November 9, six days after the party lost both chambers of Congress, with Ryan Neuhaus, who previously served as chief of staff at the Heritage Foundation, leading a push to promote younger conservatives ahead of 2028.
American Ascent is not formally affiliated with Vice President JD Vance, but its partners include Turning Point Action, which has endorsed him for president, and the American Leadership PAC led by aide Andy Surabian. Neuhaus says the group is not a Vance political project, even as its politics are closely aligned with the vice president’s.
The effort will prepare candidates to seek higher office, including those who choose to challenge Republican incumbents. Neuhaus pointed to Vance, Gill, Schmitt and Yarbrough—respectively a vice president, a representative, a senator and a representative-elect—as examples of figures who can inspire the base. The group’s backers are making the case that Republicans should renew their leadership rather than keep running the same candidates. Claremont Institute chair Thomas Klingenstein is understood to be contributing $12 million to get the project started.
Reported by The Daily Beast, The Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller.
