--- title: Republicans Re-Elect Party Chair Reince Priebus for 2016 Campaign description: Reince Priebus overwhelmingly elected to third term at party helm canonical: https://time.com/3672125/reince-priebus-rnc-2016-republicans-gop/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-01-16T19:02:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:47:28.277Z article:section: Politics og:title: Republicans Re-Elect Party Chair Reince Priebus for 2016 Campaign og:description: Reince Priebus overwhelmingly elected to third term at party helm og:url: https://time.com/3672125/reince-priebus-rnc-2016-republicans-gop/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0349f6ea38388ee8/69869ee2cd6848a815095fb9/reince-priebus.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4048 og:image:height: 2277 og:image:alt: Reince Priebus og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Republicans Re-Elect Party Chair Reince Priebus for 2016 Campaign twitter:description: Reince Priebus overwhelmingly elected to third term at party helm twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0349f6ea38388ee8/69869ee2cd6848a815095fb9/reince-priebus.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Republicans Re-Elect Party Chair for 'Do or Die' 2016 Campaign > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=8a8ad2fb-7851-49d9-8254-1061ad8bd596&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 85,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 37.0% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=8a8ad2fb-7851-49d9-8254-1061ad8bd596&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=8a8ad2fb-7851-49d9-8254-1061ad8bd596&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Zeke J Miller / Coronado, Calif.](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke J Miller / Coronado, Calif. Jan 16, 2015 7:02 PM UTC  Chairman of the Republican National Committee Reince Priebus addresses an audience at the National Association of Black Journalists convention, Thursday, July 31, 2014, in Boston. Chairman of the Republican National Committee Reince Priebus addresses an audience at the National Association of Black Journalists convention, Thursday, July 31, 2014, in Boston.Steven Senne—AP by [Zeke J Miller / Coronado, Calif.](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke J Miller / Coronado, Calif. Jan 16, 2015 7:02 PM UTC Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus was overwhelmingly re-elected to a third term at the party’s helm Friday, in a show of support for his strategy to assist Republicans in retaking the White House. Priebus, the only nominee for the post, said the next two years are “a do or die moment” for the GOP, warning of an existential crisis should a Republican not retake the White House. Only two of the 168 committee-members voted against him. “What this means is that it is a do or die moment for our party,” he said. “If we don’t win in 2016, I have a terrible feeling the national party doesn’t exist in the same way that it is today.” Priebus has overseen the party during a period of diminishing importance as super PACs have strengthened the power of outside groups. But he has focused its efforts on rebuilding the GOP’s data and field programs in an effort to create a permanent GOP campaign on par with Democratic efforts. “It is an honor and it is also a huge responsibility for me to finish the chapter here in rebuilding the Republican National Committee,” Priebus told reporters. “I think that winning a third term means I have a massive responsibility to rebuild our party, to put our nominee in the best position possible and not repeat the same result that happened in 2012.” In 2011, Priebus took over a party laden with debt and drama, and has led the GOP to record financial success. But his electoral record is mixed, having overseen both the failed effort to recapture the White House in 2012, as well as last year’s Republican wave. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3672125/reince-priebus-rnc-2016-republicans-gop/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3672125/reince-priebus-rnc-2016-republicans-gop/"},"headline":"Republicans Re-Elect Party Chair for 'Do or Die' 2016 Campaign","datePublished":"2015-01-16T19:02:30.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-19T07:47:28.277Z","description":"Reince Priebus overwhelmingly elected to third term at party helm","url":"https://time.com/3672125/reince-priebus-rnc-2016-republicans-gop/","keywords":["2016 Election","2016 Election","Reince Priebus","Republican National Committee","Republican Party"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0349f6ea38388ee8/69869ee2cd6848a815095fb9/reince-priebus.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Zeke J Miller / Coronado, Calif."}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0349f6ea38388ee8/69869ee2cd6848a815095fb9/reince-priebus.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Reince Priebus","caption":"Reince Priebus","creditText":"Steven Senne—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/2016-election/","name":"2016 Election"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3672125/reince-priebus-rnc-2016-republicans-gop/","name":"Republicans Re-Elect Party Chair for 'Do or Die' 2016 Campaign"}}]}] ```