Mike Duncan

Former chairman of the Republican National Committee (since 2007)

Why He Matters

It has been said that Duncan knows every prominent Republican in Washington.

After serving for more than two years as the chairman of the Republican National Committee, he may know every obscure Republican too.

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Corrections?

Background

At a Glance

Career History: Former chairman of the Republican National Committee (since 2007-2009);General Counsel, Republican National Committee (2002 to 2007); Treasurer, Republican National Comittee (2001 to 2002); Regional chairman,George W. Bush presidential campaign (1999 to 2000)
Hometown: Oneida, Tennessee and McCreary County, Kentucky
Alma Mater: Cumberland College; University of Kentucky College of Law, J.D., 1974

Spouse: Joanne
Office: Republican National Committee310 First StreetWashington, D. C. 20003202-863-8500
Website

Path to Power

Robert "Mike" Duncan may have been born in Oneida, Tennessee, but he's a Kentucky boy at heart.

His father owned and operated a country store in McCreary County, Kentucky, where the young Duncan began his early education in politics. People would come to the store and talk about politics. At the age of 8, Duncan's political career began when he campaigned with an uncle who was running for superintendent of schools. "When I grew up, in our home, we talked about who the Cabinet officers were and the issues of the day."

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When it came time to choose a college, Duncan stayed in Eastern Kentucky, attending Cumberland College in Williamsburg. In college, Duncan served as both the president of the student body and the head of the Kentucky College Republicans.

After graduating, he attended law school at the University of Kentucky where he met Joanne Kirk. The couple married in 1972 and moved to Inez, Ky., after graduating in 1974.

In Inez, Duncan became the president of the Kentucky Young Republicans and the Kentucky Bankers Association. He and his wife became the principal owners of two community banks, and over the years Duncan developed relationships with powerful state Republicans.

Though Duncan has never run for elected office, in 1989 he took a year-long sabbatical from banking and served in George H. W. Bush's White House as assistant director of public liaison. A decade later, he ran Sen. Jim Bunning's (R-Ky.) 1998 Senate campaign. In 1999, Duncan considered running for governor but instead worked as a regional chairman for George W. Bush's presidential campaign. Duncan was in charge of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia; four of the five went for Bush.

RNC Chairman

After Bush was elected, Duncan served as RNC treasurer and later as general counsel. In 2006, he and Martinez became RNC co-chairs. This left Duncan in charge of the day-to-day operations of the party apparatus while Martinez served as its public face.

Nine months later, Martinez stepped down from the post, leaving Duncan, as the sole leader of the party.

When Duncan took over the RNC, the party had been crushed in the 2006 midterm elections that saw Republicans lose control of both the House and Senate.

Duncan said the party deserved to lose. "The American people sent us a message, and we understand that," he said. "In all of my speeches across the country, I'm talking about a return to the basic values of the party."

Duncan pointed to taxes as a winning issue for Republicans, saying that he believed the party's should focus on fiscal issues in 2008 to defeat Democrats.

But in 2008, Republicans lost 21 seats in the House and eight seats in the Senate. Duncan disputed the idea that that the defeat marked"the death rattle of American conservatism." Adding, "[Republicans] are going to take a deep breath and listen to the American people."

A month later, after Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) won re-election in Georgia's runoff, Duncan declared the party was on its way back. "Our success in Georgia is a strong sign that reports of the GOP's demise have been greatly exaggerated, and I look forward to future Republican successes in 2009 and 2010," he wrote.

The Issues

As a former banker, Duncan is a strong voice on economic issues and has spoken at length about the importance of Republican fiscal responsibility. He also advocates an expanded approach to technology for the party, arguing that Republicans need to match the ability of Democrats to use the Internet to organize and raise money.

The Economy

Like any good Republican, Duncan is a fiscal conservative. In the run up to the 2008 elections he said Republicans should promote a low tax, low spending agenda to correct mistakes the party made in 2006.

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The Network

As chairman of American Crossroad's, Duncan is working with Karl Rove (who he's known since college), and well-known GOP operatives Steven Law and Carl Forti.

Among Duncan's allies are some of the biggest Republican money men in Washington. He has served on the campaigns of five presidents, including George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush (who calls him "Dunc").

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Additional Resources