The three lawmakers running to become the next National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) chairman will seek to make an early showing of strength this week when they announce how much money they have given to the most vulnerable House Republican incumbents.

Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said yesterday that he will give more than $50,000 to the 10 most vulnerable GOP House members at the Retain Our Majority Program (ROMP) event Thursday and that he has organized a seven-member whip team, including Reps. John Kline (Minn.), Candice Miller (Mich.), Jeff Miller (Fla.), Frank Lucas (Okla.), Devin Nunes (Calif.), Patrick McHenry (N.C.) and Chris Chocola (Ind.).

The NRCC chairmanship will open when the current chairman, Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-N.Y.), steps down after the 2006 midterm election, having served the customary two terms. Reps. Phil English (R-Pa.) and Pete Sessions (R-Texas) are also running to succeed him.

Before winning his congressional seat in 2002, Cole worked at the Republican National Committee in 2000 and the NRCC from 1991 to 1993, when the Republicans picked up 10 seats in the 1992 elections. Now the longtime political operative is running an active race, despite press reports saying otherwise, to win control of the NRCC.

Signaling that he is making a serious bid, Cole said he has spoken to 160 of his colleagues, including those who have pledged their support to his opponents. He has raised $240,950 for GOP candidates, according to data supplied by his office. He directed $84,700 to House incumbents, $141,700 to the NRCC and the remainder to other candidates. By June 30, the end of the second quarter, Cole hopes to have given away $75,000 to 15 other incumbents.

His opponents are also running aggressive campaigns. At the ROMP event, Sessions will give $60,000 to eight vulnerable incumbents and English will give $10,000.

Sessions’s goals are to triple the size of his political action committee and to do a fundraising event for 12 incumbents and 12 challengers — one per month — until the 2006 midterm. English has let it be known that it is too early to announce a whip team or other indicators of his support.

The lawmakers are keeping up an intense fundraising pace. English and Cole are courting Jean Schmidt, who won the GOP primary last week to replace Rep. Rob Portman (R-Ohio). Cole has written a check and agreed to give more money after learning that Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) are holding an event for her this week. English is hosting an event for her as well.

Although a vote that won’t take place until November 2006, Cole said in an interview that he has started running early because he feels there is “an urgency” to the race.

“The next couple of elections will determine whether we are a long-term institutional Republican majority or whether we’ve just had a good run,” he said.

There is an additional sense of urgency because the Republicans face a tougher Democratic opponent, Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), the leader of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). In contrast to some of his GOP colleagues who have leveled attacks against Emanuel’s character, Cole spoke highly of Emanuel.

“I have great respect for Rahm’s political abilities,” Cole said. “He’s raised the bar on the other side.”

A lawmaker’s groundwork in leadership races includes tapping personal friends, committee members, and supporters in their home-state delegations while showing colleagues that they are good team players. Members evaluate the candidates’ ability to raise money and the political advice they give to the conference and to individual members on a personal basis, and their experience.

After months of work, the races usually end by becoming two-week sprints as candidates strive to accumulate the support of lawmakers elected in the midterm election.

Reynolds did not have an opponent after the House GOP picked up seats in the 2004 elections and, in 2002, he beat Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.) by a slim margin when he ran as part of a slate of candidates endorsed by Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) and Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.).

Cole said that this time there would be no leadership slate and that there would not be an early knockout punch.