Activist Scott Presler has ramped up his efforts in Pennsylvania, one of the most consequential states for Republicans in the midterm elections, as he continues to push for election integrity, boost Republican turnout, and rescue the endangered GOP majority.
Presler, a grassroots election-integrity activist, has boosted his profile in Republican political circles over the past year amid the fight over the SAVE America Act, a voter identification bill. He has also expanded a grassroots organization aimed at increasing Republican turnout in some of the most competitive congressional districts in the country.
“I have 81 staff on the ground in Pennsylvania right now, and to give you perspective, in 2024 for the presidential election, I had 87 staff,” Presler told the Washington Examiner. “We are treating this midterm 2026 election like a presidential election, and the majority of our staff are knocking doors right now.”
Presler, who moved to Pennsylvania in 2024, is the founder of Early Vote Action, a Republican grassroots organization focused on increasing early voting and absentee participation among Republican voters. He told the Washington Examiner that his goal is to knock on 100,000 doors by Election Day.
He’s made it his mission to hold on to four Republican-held Pennsylvania battleground districts that are crucial to GOP hopes of retaining the majority.
As part of those efforts, Presler joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Wednesday during a Pennsylvania swing through those districts, represented by Republican Reps. Ryan Mackenzie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Rob Bresnahan, and Scott Perry.
On Friday, the nonpartisan race rater Cook Political Report updated its rankings such that Mackenzie’s and Perry’s seats are now favored to flip to Democrats. Bresnahan’s is a toss-up, and Fitzpatrick’s district is the only one that slightly favors Republicans. He has also maintained a reputation as one of the most moderate members of the GOP conference.
“Speaker Johnson came to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania just two days ago, and he visited in one day, all four of those congressional districts,” Presler said. “It shows the importance of the work that Early Vote Action is doing. The pathway to the majority in keeping the House runs through Pennsylvania.”
Presler’s activism has also centered on his push to pass the SAVE America Act, which has stalled in the Senate. He praised all four Pennsylvania Republicans for supporting the legislation while continuing to urge Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to bring the bill to President Donald Trump’s desk.
He’s also traveled to South Dakota to hold rallies in hopes of pressuring Thune to advance the legislation, which does not have enough Republican support to clear the filibuster.
“I hope that the Senate majority leader would understand that if he wanted to increase his majority, it would behoove him to enshrine election integrity like Speaker Mike Johnson has done,” Presler said.
That’s not to say Presler doesn’t have some critics.
“Scott Presler was always kept away from anything serious until the RNC was fully taken over in the 2024 cycle under pressure from Turning Point and figures within Trumpworld,” GOP strategist Dennis Lennox told the Washington Examiner. “While he has a certain following, it’s more with the fringe activists. You want to stay out of his crosshairs but keep him away from the principal.”
When Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, became co-chair of the Republican National Committee, she expressed interest in hiring him as part of the committee’s “legal ballot harvesting division” and praised his work in voter registration. A spokesperson said at the time he would be a “valuable voice to the RNC” but not an employee.
GOP LIKELY TO PICK UP ONLY FRACTION OF THE SEATS IT REDREW
Still, Presler, popular among conservative activists and owning a massive social media following, has continued to try to grow his political clout since the 2024 election.
That includes bringing his lobbying efforts to Capitol Hill to engage with lawmakers. Earlier this year, he teamed up with the Republican Study Committee as part of his push to pass the voter identification bill, setting up a prolonged standoff with Thune over the legislation.
But on the campaign trail, Presler is using his undertaking to pass the SAVE America Act as a rallying cry in hopes of Republicans defying history to maintain their congressional majorities.
“I would argue that the work that we’re doing is valuable,” Presler said. “There is non-citizen voting going on, and in fact, if our lawmakers actually secured our elections, I think that it would inspire more people, not fewer people, to vote in our elections.”
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
