Former GOP chairman Dick Richards has endorsed Maria Cino. In a letter to members, Richards, whom Ronald Reagan picked to lead the RNC from 1980 to 1982, emphasizes Cino’s experience. “She turned a nearly bankrupt NRCC into a majority-winning committee and tripled its resources, within 2 election cycles,” Richards writes. “She has also run every major program at the RNC, including having served as CEO of the 2008 convention, and she’s always delivered results with money left in the bank.” See the full letter below.

Dear RNC Committee Member:
Having had the honor of serving as Chairman of the RNC under our great former president, Ronald Reagan, I know how important it is for our party and for our country to have a well-organized, well-financed Republican National Committee. That’s why I am endorsing Maria Cino in the race for RNC Chairman.
We’re blessed to have a number of fine candidates in this race, but I believe that Maria’s organizational strength and experience make her stand out from the rest. She turned a nearly bankrupt NRCC into a majority-winning committee and tripled its resources, within 2 election cycles. She has also run every major program at the RNC, including having served as CEO of the 2008 convention, and she’s always delivered results with money left in the bank.
My mentor for running the RNC, Ray Bliss, was a great RNC Chairman and former Ohio state chair. Ray taught me that party organization makes the difference in elections. You win when you have people talking to their friends and neighbors: person to person, door to door, handshake to handshake, eyeball to eyeball. That is how Reagan won in 1980, how our party beat the odds to win in 2004, and how a huge group of great new candidates and activists produced such great results in 2010. Maria understands this, and is committed to leading an RNC that will enable and support those efforts, and win elections.
Our party faces a daunting challenge to gear up to take on President Obama and the Democrats in the 2012 cycle. We need the best leadership we have to get the job done. Based on her strength as a seasoned executive with outstanding organizational, political and fundraising skills, I believe that Maria Cino is the best candidate for RNC Chairman. I encourage you to consider her carefully and then give her your vote.
Sincerely,
Dick Richards
Chairman
Republican National Committee
1980-1982