Outgoing GOP rep: Republican Party ‘heading into trouble’ in election
On @FaceTheNation @CBS w/@nancycordes: for any party to grow, we must ensure that we include all groups. By growing the # and diversity of ppl involved in politics, we will strengthen our #democracy pic.twitter.com/utXeMkdMJd
— Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (@RosLehtinen) February 18, 2018
Outgoing Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.) said in an interview broadcast Sunday that it would be “foolish” for the GOP not to realize that it’s “heading into trouble” in the next election.
“When you look at the future of the Republican Party, I think that we would be foolish to not see that we’re heading into trouble,” Ros-Lehtinen told CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
Speaking on a panel of other GOP lawmakers leaving Congress, Ros-Lehtinen noted that “few women” are running for office as Republicans.
“Far greater numbers of women are identifying themselves as being in the Democratic party,” she said
The panel also included Reps. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) and Ed Royce (R-Calif.), in addition to Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.). All four lawmakers will retire at the end of their current term.
Ros-Lehtinen: GOP Must Attract Millennials, Women and Minorities
Veteran Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen warned Sunday the GOP is “heading into trouble” in a future that looks grim unless the party can attract more millennials, women and minorities.
In remarks on CBS News’ “Face The Nation,” the retiring Florida Republican said the party needs “to get minorities involved in our party.”“When you look at the future of the Republican Party, I think that we would be foolish to not see that we’re heading into trouble,” she said.
“Very few women are running… on the Republican Party ticket for office. Far greater numbers of women are identifying themselves as being in the Democratic Party. Minorities — that have always been traditionally a group that we should really be going after, I don’t see that we really have a recruiting program that’s active to get minorities involved in our party,” she continued.