Republican Party

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FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2013 file photo, House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, left, performs a mock swearing in for Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., right, accompanied by his wife Carolyn, on Capitol Hill in Washington as the 113th Congress began. As a Republican, freshman Yoho cares about the Republican Party’s image and fate. But what he especially cares about is a tiny sliver of the GOP: about 22,000 primary voters who lean heavily conservative, and who secured his spot in the House of Representatives. Yoho is hardly alone. Many other House Republicans owe their elections to similarly small and ideologically intense electorates. These GOP lawmakers pay far less attention to the party’s national reputation. And that deeply frustrates activists trying to build broad, national coalitions to elect a Republican as president in 2016 and beyond. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)

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** FILE ** Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican, speaks during a GOP fundraiser in Charleston, S.C., on Monday, Nov. 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith)

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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's overwhelming victory Tuesday gives him a high-profile launching pad to make the case that he should be Republican Party's standard bearer in the 2016 presidential race. (Associated Press)

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GOP Rep. Amy Stephens of Colorado is running for seat held by Democrat Sen. Mark Udall because of his role in the shutdown. (Associated Press)

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National Edition News Cover for October 16, 2013 - House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, walks away from the microphone during a news conference after a House GOP meeting on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013, in Washington. House GOP leaders Tuesday floated a plan to fellow Republicans to counter an emerging Senate deal to reopen the government and forestall an economy-rattling default on U.S. obligations. But the plan got mixed reviews from the rank and file, and it was not clear whether it could pass the chamber. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

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House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, walks away from the microphone during a news conference after a House GOP meeting on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013, in Washington. House GOP leaders Tuesday floated a plan to fellow Republicans to counter an emerging Senate deal to reopen the government and forestall an economy-rattling default on U.S. obligations. But the plan got mixed reviews from the rank and file, and it was not clear whether it could pass the chamber. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)