Edwin J. Feulner Jr., founder of The Heritage Foundation and a longtime leader of the conservative movement, died Friday. He was 83 years old. Heritage announced Feulner’s death in a statement released by President Kevin Roberts and Board Chairman Barb Van Andel-Gaby. They praised Feulner as “more than a leader—he was a visionary, a builder, and a patriot of the highest order.” Feulner founded Heritage in 1973 and became its president four years later. Over the course of his 37-year tenure, he transformed the small Capitol Hill policy shop into a powerhouse of policy ideas. During Feulner’s presidency, The New York Times described Heritage as “the Parthenon of the conservative metropolis.” Roberts and Van Andel-Gaby credited Feulner for “planting a flag for Truth in a town too often seduced by power.” “What started as a small outpost for conservative ideas became—under Ed’s tireless leadership—the intellectual arsenal for the Reagan Revolution and the modern conservative movement,” they added. “In the four decades that followed, Ed’s foresight, discipline, and moral clarity made Heritage a battleship, unshaken by political winds and focused solely on fighting for the American people.” Born Aug. 12, 1941, in Chicago, Feulner discovered his conservative calling at a young age after reading Barry Goldwater’s “The Conscience of a Conservative” and Russell Kirk’s “The Conservative Mind.” Those books shaped both his thinking and the trajectory of his life’s work. After graduating from Regis University with double majors in English and business, Feulner earned an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business in 1964. He later attended Georgetown University and the London School of Economics, eventually receiving a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh in 1981. Feulner spent time at both the Center for Strategic Studies and Hoover Institution at Stanford University before heading to Capitol Hill in Washington. He served as a confidential assistant to Rep. Melvin Laird of Wisconsin, who later became defense secretary. He later worked as chief of staff to Rep. Phil Crane of Illinois and as executive director of the Republican Study Committee. What a tremendous sorrow for our @Heritage and @Heritage_Action family — truly a family, largely because of Dr. Ed Feulner’s hard work, but also his humanity. Of all the things I’m grateful for, counting a hero as a mentor and a friend is near the top. I will miss him terribly.… https://t.co/340iw4TFRr— Kevin Roberts (@KevinRobertsTX) July 19, 2025 During his time working in Congress, Feulner saw a need for an innovative conservative policy organization in Washington, which led to the creation of Heritage in 1973. Working alongside Heritage leaders Phil Truluck and John von Kannon, the organization quickly made its mark—producing timely policy reports for lawmakers, then publishing the comprehensive “Mandate for Leadership,” a transformative policy book that shaped President Ronald Reagan’s administration in 1981 and beyond. In 1989, Reagan recognized Feulner’s contributions to the conservative movement by awarding him the Presidential Citizens Medal. Throughout his career, Feulner championed “big-tent conservatism,” using Heritage’s influence to convene the conservative movement. One of his favorite sayings was “You win through multiplication and addition, not through division and subtraction.” Feulner’s influence extended beyond Heritage through his work with numerous conservative organizations and leaders. “Ed didn’t just transform think tankery—he revolutionized how ideas reach policymakers and change the world,” State Policy Network CEO Lawson Bader said. “His mentorship taught me that true leadership means building institutions that outlast you, developing people who surpass you, and maintaining unwavering principles while adapting methods to maximize impact.” Several members of Congress, including past leaders of the Republican Study Committee, praised Feulner for his leadership. “As the founder of [RSC] and longtime president of the Heritage Foundation, Ed Feulner was one of the architects who built the conservative movement in this country,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., wrote on X. “I was fortunate enough to get to know Ed when I was RSC Chairman, and all of our Members benefitted from his wisdom and care for the organization. His legacy will have a lasting impact on our country, and my prayers are with his family as we all mourn his loss.” God bless the extraordinary legacy of Ed Feulner, and his singular influence upon the conservative movement. Praying tonight for his family and all who mourn his loss. “Onward. Always.” https://t.co/6Mz5rJGkSU— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) July 19, 2025 Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, added, “God bless Dr. Feulner’s family, as well as his vast Heritage family across the decades, and may this giant of the conservative movement rest in peace. In a time when freedom fighters in Washington were almost extinct, he laid a foundation upon which countless American victories stand today.” Feulner authored nine books, including “The American Spirit,” “Getting America Right,” and “Leadership for America.” He also served as publisher of Heritage’s Policy Review magazine and co-founder and chairman of the website Townhall.com. Former colleagues, many of whom still populate the Heritage building on Massachusetts Avenue, often share his memorable “Feulnerisms,” such as “people are policy” and “In Washington, there are no permanent victories and no permanent defeats.” Bridgett Wagner, his longtime colleague who serves as executive director of Heritage’s Edwin J. Feulner Institute, called him “a giant” whose “wisdom, guidance, eternal optimism, and confidence in our cause inspired countless individuals, built enduring institutions, and shaped the conservative movement profoundly.” Ed Feulner was a movement builder, a think tank entrepreneur, and an incredible mentor and friend to thousands over the course of his extraordinary life. He will be remembered as a devoted husband and father, faithful Catholic, and selfless servant in the cause of freedom. https://t.co/sUWYabU6RE— Bridgett Wagner (@bridgettwagner) July 19, 2025 After stepping down as president, Feulner continued serving on Heritage’s Board of Trustees, offering what Roberts and Van Andel-Gaby described as “encouragement and sage advice in equal measure.” They said Heritage would honor Feulner’s legacy “by carrying his mission forward with courage, integrity, and determination,” remembering his favorite charge: “Onward. Always.” Feulner is survived by his wife, Linda, their children, and grandchildren. The post Ed Feulner, Heritage Foundation Founder and Conservative Movement Giant, Dies appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Onward! Along with a dozen other sayings, this was the signature of Edwin J. Feulner. There is not a week that goes by that I do not quote him. He was a giant of the conservative movement, but I got to work with him day to day as his chief of staff while he was carefully stewarding and looking to hand over the institution he founded, The Heritage Foundation. While he built institutions and our movement, his most lasting legacy for me is how he treated people. First, the builder. Ed was an entrepreneur. Famously, he started Heritage with a business plan he pitched to Joe Coors, the beer magnate. It would be a think tank, but with an emphasis on “tank.” He often called it a “do” tank—he could enjoy a theoretical conversation as much as the next guy, but it had to get to impact. He didn’t stop at Heritage, of course. He started Townhall.com in the early days of the internet, and then laid the groundwork for The Daily Signal as a conservative outlet that today stands on its own as one of the fastest-growing news organizations on the right. He also entrusted two of his former chiefs of staff, Mike Needham and Tim Chapman, with starting an affiliated 501(c)4 group, Heritage Action for America. “If we can’t make them see the light, then we will make them feel the heat,” he said. While he didn’t relish the combat, he knew Heritage Action was needed and then he promptly picked two of Washington’s best young operatives to make it happen. “People are policy”—and Ed had a knack for finding and promoting talent. One of today’s stars of the movement, Bridgett Wagner, started as his research assistant before rising to vice president at Heritage and becoming one of the most critical connectors in the movement. Ed would often say “everyone in Washington works for Newt Gingrich or Bridgett Wagner.” Ed had a way of personifying “adding and multiplying, not dividing and subtracting.” He hesitated to read anyone out of the conservative movement and looked for the positive in all corners of conservatism. But he tempered his good-natured conviviality with discernment, somehow avoiding getting too closely entangled with those who found scandal and controversy. He had zero tolerance for any bigotry on the basis of race or religion, and there was never a whiff of any of that at Heritage thanks to his zeal. His impeccable character ensured an upstart, nimble shop on Capitol Hill became the “beast” of all think tanks (in the words of the New York Times). In its early years, Heritage focused on economics and foreign policy while the Free Congress Foundation took the social issues. Over time, Ed moved Heritage slowly and steadily, following the Kirkian “permanent things” pathway, toward defense of traditional marriage and life in the womb. By the time he handed over the reins to his successor, Heritage was firmly conservative in every way. Ed Feulner paid attention to details. He used to refer to himself as the “highest paid proofreader in the building.” Whether it was copy to go to donors, a policy paper, or an op-ed, the men and women of Heritage cringed when they saw their copy marked with a red pen and “—EJF.” He especially took great care in communicating and caring for donors. “Donor intent” was a mantra. He personally reviewed seating charts (always an eye for protocol) and photographs. He is the reason that to this day Heritage has such top-notch events and retains a great reputation for class and elegance. For someone at the top of the Washington beltway, he never used people as a means, always an end. That is probably because of his foundational Catholic faith. His generation did not talk about religion much, and Ed was not different in that way. But he lived out his faith through devoted attendance and quiet witness. Heritage was very much a family enterprise, and it was important to Ed that spouses feel at home. Family always trumped everything for Ed. In my early years at Heritage, when I was one of the younger members of senior management, my wife always felt self-conscious among such giants. But she would ask, “Will Ed and Linda be there?” and hearing they would be present put her at ease. Ed would always seek her out early in an evening to welcome her—he had a gift to know who needed reassurance like that. He would make everyone feel comfortable. Anytime someone would sheepishly ask for time off to care for family, he would suggest they be sure to take enough time. He must have insisted “family first!” a hundred times a year. He meant it. He cared deeply for every employee of Heritage. Helping a long-time employee when her son got into trouble. Sending a note to another on his birthday. His generous gifts at Christmas to his immediate staff, several of whom—Kathy, Missy, and Kevin—worked for him for decades and remained always fiercely loyal. To the broader team, he loved to hand out the Christmas cash bonus. I’m not sure if he came up with that idea or if it was his longtime partner in the enterprise, Phil Truluck. They had such a mind meld it was hard to know where one ended and the other began. Ed and I attended Phil’s funeral service together, and even though they were both retired when Phil passed, Ed felt like he lost his right arm. He loved Phil and Anne and the Truluck kids. He knew building Heritage was a team endeavor and Phil was his partner. Ed would wax poetic about civil society, but he backed it up with time for many groups, especially the Boy Scouts. He would sign hundreds of letters congratulating those who made Eagle Scout. He was active in dozens of civil society groups. While always private about his family, it was clear where his heart was. He adored his family. Sometimes we would chat about an update from his kids or some item about his beloved Linda. Of course, the grandkids could do no wrong! He was proud of his family, and he cared for Linda intensely. She was always first in his mind. They say impact, like much else, compounds over time. I got to see the fruit of his many decades of work every day. He kept up with friends and co-conspirators over decades. He always made his friends a priority over the most powerful people in the country. He, of course, had an incredible rolodex and a packed schedule of meetings and events from coast to coast and beyond. In particular, he relished trips to Korea and Hong Kong, to connect with America’s best friends and some of the most powerful defenders of freedom. When all that is considered, I’ll remember him best as a visionary leader and uniter, a great boss, a mentor, and above all, a family and civic-minded man and a friend. Onward! Always. The post ‘Onward!’ My Boss Ed Feulner Built a Movement and Cared for People appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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Politics GOP on Life Support in Virginia Governor Race November appears to be a foregone conclusion in the Commonwealth. The news out of Virginia is bleak.  After four years of solid leadership from Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, the Virginia GOP is poised to lose every major statewide race this November. New polling released by Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) on Thursday reveals a grim reality for Republicans as gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears trails former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger by double digits in the general. Just as concerning are the down ballot races where Republicans are also struggling mightily against the Democrats. Jason Miyares, the incumbent attorney general and a once-promising figure among young American conservatives, is down 9 points to former state Democratic Del. Jay Jones. John Reid, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor and a former talk show host who has been embroiled in an embarrassing scandal, trails state Democratic Sen. Ghazala Hashmi by 10.  Following the dismal numbers, Earle-Sears, who anchored Youngkin’s 2021 ticket, fired campaign manager Will Archer, a pastor with no previous political experience. Earle-Sears has struggled to match her challenger’s impressive fundraising and the poor numbers from VCU are further evidence that she is failing to find her footing on the campaign trail sans Youngkin. Spanberger has led Democrats to a record-breaking fundraising haul this year, pulling in a commanding $10.7 million in the second quarter alone. Earle-Sears, in comparison, raised $5.9 million during the same period. In total, Spanberger has raised more than $27 million while Earle-Sears has taken in less than $12 million.  And living in the Commonwealth, that money gap shows. We are five months out from the election and ads for Spanberger are wall to wall on the local TV channels. Spanberger, a former intelligence officer at the CIA and graduate of the University of Virginia, leans into her centrist zeal in the spots promising Virginians that she will work in a bipartisan manner to “lower costs and make sure our schools prepare all our kids for jobs of the future.” Spanberger’s selling point is simple: She looks and speaks like a Central Virginia suburban mom while touting the professional accomplishments of a late career bureaucrat.  Spanberger has found easy favor with the Acela-corridor Virginians just south of DC who work for the federal government and are frustrated by President Donald Trump’s decision to slash federal jobs. Spanberger has tactfully attached herself to the issue, even authoring an opinion piece in Fox News that was published Friday. Democrats, already angry and motivated following the 2024 election, view her campaign as a vessel to fight and stand against the Trump administration and Spangberger’s numbers reflect that the strategy is working. Earle-Sears, on the other hand, has grappled with identity issues on the campaign trail. A black immigrant born in Jamaica who grew up in the Bronx and served as an electrician in the U.S. Marines, Earle-Sears has struggled as much as any Republican in recent memory to capture the black vote. VCU’s poll finds that Earle-Sears is losing the black vote to Spanberger by 63 points, suggesting she has struggled to connect with voters outside the Republican moat. Even within the moat, where her gun-toting bona fides were heralded in the 2021 election, Earle-Sears has struggled to gain traction with a base that isn’t as outwardly MAGA as other statewide Republican coalitions. Earle-Sears is also a noted social conservative who opposes same-sex marriage and once called abortion “genocide” on the campaign trail. In Virginia, a state whose electorate has increasingly swung left on social issues in the high-density population centers outside Richmond and DC, opposing same-sex marriage and abortion is a tough sell in 2025. And on the topic of same-sex marriage, Earle-Sears is well to the right of her own ticket. Republican candidate for lieutenant governor John Reid, a gay man, said on Wednesday that he would support repealing the state constitution’s ban on same-sex marriage.  With less than five months until the election on November 4th, Earle-Sears has limited options to turn the tide of the race. One hope is that Youngkin, who is polling with a healthy 49 percent approval, will become more active and join Earle-Sears on the campaign trail in October. But Youngkin, who is also polling well in a potential senatorial matchup with incumbent Democrat Sen. Mark Warner, has shown a reluctance to throw his political capital in with Earle-Sears, especially given her increasingly narrow path to victory.  It’s a shame for Republicans who had been an afterthought in Virginia statewide politics for nearly 15 years before Youngkin’s shock elevation to the governor’s mansion in 2021. Then, the Covid pandemic and education reform dominated the headlines, two issues that favored the ascendent GOP. Republicans capitalized on the chaos with a balanced ticket that promised both the stability of Youngkin paired with the anti-establishment fervor of Earle-Sears and Miyares. With Youngkin term limited and thus unable to run for reelection, the responsibility to appeal on more moderate issues has fallen to Earl-Sears, who has failed to meet the moment.  Though there is still time for her to pick up votes, Earl-Sears’ campaign must find a way to make up for an enthusiasm gap within the motivated electorate. Democrats view the off-year election as a referendum on Trump’s White House and are keen to use their votes to make a statement. Earl-Sears also must make up ground on core economic issues that have come to define Spanberger’s campaign. Though Youngkin’s office has done a tremendous job pitching Virginia as a high-growth state that is attractive for businesses, Earle-Sears has focused much of her campaign on public safety, promising to lock up violent criminals. Spanberger’s campaign, in comparison, has highlighted the affordability crisis of Virginians who are struggling with higher rent and grocery prices.  The party in the White House has lost every Virginia gubernatorial race except one in the state since 1977. For Earle-Sears and the Republicans in Virginia, it’s going to take a miracle to break that streak.  The post GOP on Life Support in Virginia Governor Race appeared first on The American Conservative.