DONALD WHO?:

A winning message would emphasize inflation and parental rights, they said -- not the 2020 election, which Trump falsely insists he won. Strengthening the party would require opening it up to new voters -- not punishing Republicans who have disagreed with Trump, they added.

The sentiments echo those of local GOP leaders, who said late last year that they were ready to move beyond the 2020 election, even if Trump wasn't. They wanted to put issues like border security, the Afghanistan troop withdrawal and education front and center. [...]

The model campaign that Republican donors and strategists here are studying and hoping to re-create in their own states is that of Republican Glenn Youngkin, a political novice who won the Virginia governor's race last year over former Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

"The most important thing that struck me was [Youngkin] talked to the voters about what they wanted to talk about," said Michael Whatley, the chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party.

By keeping Trump at a distance and emphasizing local issues, Youngkin prevailed in a state that President Joe Biden won by 10 percentage points.

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