Edward F. Cox, chairman of the New York Republican Party, and the Empire State’s entire Republican congressional delegation announced their support for Maria Cino as chairwoman of the Republican National Committee this morning. In a statement, Cox writes:
“Frankly, no one is better than Maria at stepping into a challenging situation and turning things around. As Executive Director of the NRCC during the 1990’s, she took an organization on the verge of bankruptcy, made the tough choices and ultimately tripled revenues while helping Republicans win and then maintain our first House Majority in 40 years.
“That’s one of the many reasons why I encourage my fellow Committee members to join me in supporting Maria Cino for RNC Chairman. Maria is the strong, experienced, full-time leader our party needs as we head into the critical 2012 presidential cycle.
Meanwhile, the congressional delegation points to Cino’s fundraising skills — and her New Yorker roots:
“Maria was born and raised in New York, where she began an exemplary political career running winning campaigns in a politically difficult region for our party. . . .
“In the Bush Administration, she served as an Assistant Secretary of Commerce and then as Deputy Secretary of Transportation, where as chief operating officer she managed a $61 billion budget and an organization of 60,000 employees. Most recently, she served as Chief Executive Officer of the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul, which the Associated Press lauded as a ‘model of efficiency and organization.’
“Maria’s national political experience is unparalleled. Her organization and fundraising skills are world-class. We all know what is at stake in 2012. We also know that our party is unprepared for the campaigns that lie ahead. Saddled with a historic debt, an expensive convention to plan, and a total rebuilding of our Victory programs, we are confident that Maria can once again save our party.