Matt Schlapp, the former White House political director under George W. Bush, was elected Thursday morning as the next chairman of the American Conservative Union.
The organization’s board of directors selected Schlapp after Al Cardenas stepped down from the position last month. Before his election Thursday, Schlapp had served as second vice chairman of the ACU.
“ACU has an important role to play in the conservative movement and our charge is to make ACU a 21st century organization while always embracing our founding principles,” Schlapp said after the vote.
The ACU, founded in 1964, bills itself as the “oldest and largest grassroots conservative organization in the nation.”
The organization provides “conservative positions on issues to Congress, the executive branch, state legislatures, the media, political candidates, and the public,” according to its website. It is also known for hosting CPAC, the yearly Conservative Political Action Conference, and for its political action committee that supports conservative candidates for office.
Schlapp, a founding partner of Cove Strategies, was a deputy assistant to the president during Bush’s first term. He has also worked on Capitol Hill and on political campaigns.
“Matt Schlapp is a great American, a personal friend, and a leader in the conservative movement,” Club for Growth president Chris Chocola said Thursday. “I am sure he will do great things at the American Conservative Union, and I look forward to working with him on achieving our shared goal of a more prosperous and free America.”