This may be a game changer in the RNC Chairman race.
The next chairman of the Republican National Committee will be chosen by the 168 party activists who make up the party organization, and no one else.
But with with just 10 days left until next Friday’s election, the candidates are using every tool at their disposal to curry favor with the RNC membership – including leveraging their friendships with powerful allies on Capitol Hill.
According to two RNC members, incoming House Speaker John Boehner has made phone calls to committee members on behalf of Maria Cino, the former Bush administration official and longtime GOP operative.
We haven’t heard much talk of major endorsements from elected officials or other power players in this race. Paul Ryan and Scott Walker are backing Rence Priebus up in Wisconsin. And there have been some rumors of Haley Barbour starting to lend a hand to Priebus, but that hasn’t been confirmed.
But that’s about it.
With that in mind, the Speaker-to-be backing Cino may be a game changer. Very few committeemen have made their endorsements public, so a major player like Boehner stepping in could really move votes.