WASHINGTON - Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement announcing the RNC's Regional Political Directors for the 2012 presidential cycle: "I am proud to announce a talented and dedicated Regional Political team for the 2012 cycle," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. "There will be seven directors who will be responsible for coordinating the ground operation and voter contacts across the country to ensure Republican victories in the House, Senate and White House this fall. They will work side by side Mitt Romney's team and the campaigns for our Republican candidates up and down the ticket. After three and a half years of broken promises and failed economic policies, President Obama is vulnerable across the country and we intend to elect Mitt Romney as the next President of the United States."   Mark Jefferson Utah/Wyoming/Colorado/Kansas/Oklahoma/South Dakota/Minnesota/Iowa/Wisconsin Mark Jefferson has served the RNC as Midwestern RPD since May 2011. Before joining the RNC, Mark worked for over four years as Executive Director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. A native of central Wisconsin, Mark has run several house races and was the statewide director for the state Republican Assembly Campaign Committee. He has also served as a legislative aide in the Wisconsin State Capitol for more than a decade.   Emily Cornell Washington/Oregon/Idaho/Arizona/New Mexico/Texas/Alaska/Missouri Emily Cornell has worked with the RNC since 2010, most recently as RNC Deputy Political Director since March 2011 and as Regional Victory Director, during the 2010 cycle. Emily has worked Victory and campaign operations in multiple states since 2008 including Texas, Virginia, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky and Oregon. Cornell also worked as Regional Political Coordinator for Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign in 2007-08.   David Raad Arkansas/Louisiana/Mississippi/Alabama/Georgia/South Carolina/Florida Since 1996 David Raad has been active in campaign and election operations throughout southeast United States in both field and leadership roles. In 2011-2012, David led Governor Mitt Romney's South Carolina campaign as state director. In 2010 David was a part of the historic GOP landslide victory effort as the RNC's National Field Director. He has served as Executive Director of President Bush's reelection effort in Missouri in 2004, and has served in a number of campaign and political operations including the 2000 RNC Convention.   Darren Bearson Indiana/Kentucky/Tennessee/Ohio/Pennsylvania Darren Bearson brings more than 16 years of party and campaign management experience to the RNC. Most recently, he served as the executive director of the Ohio Republican Party. Previously, he served in key leadership positions for the RNC, the White House and the Republican Party of Minnesota. During his previous tenure at the RNC, Bearson served as Regional Political Director for eight central states in the 2010 midterm elections. Prior to joining the RNC for the 2010 election cycle, Bearson worked as the executive director of the Republican Party of Minnesota. He also served in the Bush Administration as the White House Liaison to the U.S. Department of Energy and previously as Associate Political Director in the White House Office of Political Affairs.   Jayme Odom Hawaii/California/Montana/North Dakota/Nebraska/Illinois Jayme Odom most recently served as Campaign Manager for Congressman Adam Kinzinger's successful 2012 primary election. In 2010, she worked for the RNC as the Nevada Victory Director. Odom has also served as Illinois Political Director for the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee and as Director of Field Operations for the Illinois Republican Party.   Matt Mason Michigan/West Virginia/Virginia/North Carolina Matt Mason got his start in politics in the late 90's in Southeast Ohio managing 5 successful local races while studying political management at Ohio University. Mason got involved with state wide races in 2000 when he became the Victory Coordinator for the Ohio Republican Party. He also worked for the state party as a Field Representative in 2001 and also served as the State Victory Director for Ohio in the '04, '06, and '08 cycles. In 2007 Mason served as the Regional Political Director for the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee covering the Great Lakes region. In 2009, Matt worked for the RNC in Virginia as the State Victory Director and then went on to become the Executive Political Director in Michigan in 2010. Mason is also a Combat Veteran with the United States Marine Corps. having served with Lima Company 3rd Battalion 25th Marines in Iraq in 2005.   Allison Coccia Nevada/Maine/New Hampshire/Vermont/Massachusetts/Connecticut/Rhode Island/New York/New Jersey/Delaware/ Maryland Allison Coccia most recently worked for the National Republican Congressional Committee directing the Young Guns program and as National Finance Director for US House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. From 2008 through 2009, she served as Executive Director of the Republican Party of Virginia. Prior to Virginia she served as Executive Director of the New York Republican Party and Political Director of the Pennsylvania Republican Party. Allison has run several state house races in Pennsylvania and has previously worked for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, served as a Finance Director for a Congressional race, and as Deputy Finance Director and Finance Director for the Pennsylvania Republican Party. ###

WASHINGTON - Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement regarding Obama's gay marriage decision: "While President Obama has played politics on this issue, the Republican Party and our presumptive nominee Mitt Romney have been clear. We support maintaining marriage between one man and one woman and would oppose any attempts to change that," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.   GOP Platform: Preserving Traditional Marriage Because our children's future is best preserved within the traditional understanding of marriage, we call for a constitutional amendment that fully protects marriage as a union of a man and a woman, so that judges cannot make other arrangements equivalent to it. In the absence of a national amendment, we support the right of the people of the various states to affirm traditional marriage through state initiatives. Republicans recognize the importance of having in the home a father and a mother who are married. The two-parent family still provides the best environment of stability, discipline, responsibility, and character. Children in homes without fathers are more likely to commit a crime, drop out of school, become violent, become teen parents, use illegal drugs, become mired in poverty, or have emotional or behavioral problems. We support the courageous efforts of single-parent families to provide a stable home for their children. Children are our nation's most precious resource. We also salute and support the efforts of foster and adoptive families. Republicans have been at the forefront of protecting traditional marriage laws, both in the states and in Congress. A Republican Congress enacted the Defense of Marriage Act, affirming the right of states not to recognize same-sex marriages licensed in other states. Unbelievably, the Democratic Party has now pledged to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which would subject every state to the redefinition of marriage by a judge without ever allowing the people to vote on the matter. We also urge Congress to use its Article III, Section 2 power to prevent activist federal judges from imposing upon the rest of the nation the judicial activism in Massachusetts and California. We also encourage states to review their marriage and divorce laws in order to strengthen marriage. As the family is our basic unit of society, we oppose initiatives to erode parental rights.   ###

WASHINGTON - Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement announcing the 2012 Iowa Victory Director, Ryan Gough: "Iowa will play a pivotal role in the upcoming election and I'm confident that with Ryan Gough at the helm, the RNC will run one of the most comprehensive voter outreach and voter turnout operations in Iowa's history," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. "Ryan takes the helm of a GOP field operation that just gave Republicans their first voter registration advantage in six years, and with the use of new technology and our growing base of Republican support in Iowa, the RNC is poised to make more volunteer voter contacts than ever before. After 3.5 years of President Obama's failed policies and broken promises, Iowans are ready for a change in Washington and the RNC's Iowa Victory Program will ensure we send Mitt Romney to the White House in 2012."   Ryan Gough Biography: Since 2010 Gough has served in various roles within the Iowa GOP including, Iowa Caucus Coordinator, Organization Director and Deputy Communications Director. Previously, Gough served as a field director in Des Moines organizing, managing, and mobilizing volunteers to help usher in big Republican victories in 2010. Gough's experience in the field and organizing volunteers puts him in a prime position to help the RNC run a fully comprehensive get-out-the-vote program to elect our Republican candidates this November. ###

WASHINGTON - Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement announcing the 2012 Iowa Victory Director, Ryan Gough: "Iowa will play a pivotal role in the upcoming election and I'm confident that with Ryan Gough at the helm, the RNC will run one of the most comprehensive voter outreach and voter turnout operations in Iowa's history," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. "Ryan takes the helm of a GOP field operation that just gave Republicans their first voter registration advantage in six years, and with the use of new technology and our growing base of Republican support in Iowa, the RNC is poised to make more volunteer voter contacts than ever before. After 3.5 years of President Obama's failed policies and broken promises, Iowans are ready for a change in Washington and the RNC's Iowa Victory Program will ensure we send Mitt Romney to the White House in 2012."   Ryan Gough Biography: Since 2010 Gough has served in various roles within the Iowa GOP including, Iowa Caucus Coordinator, Organization Director and Deputy Communications Director. Previously, Gough served as a field director in Des Moines organizing, managing, and mobilizing volunteers to help usher in big Republican victories in 2010. Gough's experience in the field and organizing volunteers puts him in a prime position to help the RNC run a fully comprehensive get-out-the-vote program to elect our Republican candidates this November. ###

WASHINGTON - Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement announcing the 2012 New Hampshire Victory Director, Brennan Ward: "The RNC is poised to run a comprehensive voter outreach and turnout operation in New Hampshire and I'm confident Brennan Ward will help ensure we make more phone calls, knock on more doors, and make more volunteer voter contacts than ever before. New Hampshire will be critical in the Path to 270, and Brennan is the perfect person to move us forward to victory this November," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. "In the wake of three and a half years of President Obama's failed policies and broken promises, the people of New Hampshire are ready for a change in Washington and Brennan is the start to a team that will demonstrate the RNC's serious commitment to victory in November." In addition to traditional on-the-ground voter turnout efforts, the RNC unveiled the new GOP Social Victory Center last week. It's the first of its kind online tool giving you access to many of the features of a traditional victory center from your own home. No other campaign or committee has developed the same technology to harness the power and reach of Facebook in this way; it is a new frontier in digital activism that will play a large part in the New Hampshire RNC Victory Program. Learn more and get the app here https://apps.facebook.com/social-victory   Brennan Ward Biography: Brennan Ward, originally from New Hampshire, most recently was the Grassroots Coordinator for the Leadership Institute, the nation's premier conservative public policy training organization. Previously, Brennan has worked for several campaigns at the local, state and federal level in some of the most important electoral states in the nation, including NH, PA and OH. Beyond Brennan's extensive grassroots experience, he has worked for Public Opinion Strategies which is one of the top Republican polling firms in the country, where he focused on policy initiatives, organizing campaign messages, and tracking polls for Senate and U.S. Congress candidates across the country. Brennan has also worked in the Strategy Department within the Republican National Committee as a staff member in Political Polling. In addition to campaign experience, Brennan has previously worked for two United States Representatives.   ###

Republican Party of New York Chairman Ed Cox: "Today President Obama will be touring the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering in Albany...The development of this college, the very successful nanotech industry that has developed around it is one of two centers of nanoscale technology in the world, the other being in Belgium. That was developed about ten years ago by a Republican governor and was based on Republican principles. Those principles are that government funds should go to basic research and that government should work in private partnerships and not picking winners and losers but letting the markets decide who the winners and losers should be. "The contrast is with what President Obama did with his Stimulus Bill in which he supported winners and losers such as the Solyndra green jobs program, which was a solar company in which more than a half a billion dollars were put in a loan guarantee and the market turned against it and the result was that the government is out that amount... "Barack Obama came in a president and the American people gave him a supermajority of 60 in the Senate a huge majority in the House and said he would focus on jobs and the economy. He didn't he focused on cap and trade, ObamaCare, Dodd-Frank things that in fact smothered the economy and didn't lead to the kind of recovery that the American people wanted. And that's why you saw the Republicans have such large gains in the House in 2010. The American people are focused on jobs and the economy..."   Former New York Governor George Pataki: "Republican policies, lower taxes, empowering the private sector, not picking winners or losers and certainly not rewarding political cronies and getting the regulatory process straightened out so that companies can build quickly is the reason we have had so much success. It is the opposite of the policies that President Obama has put into place which has created a far more difficult economic climate for businesses that want to invest and create jobs to succeed in the United States. "The fact that President Obama is there and has policies that are the opposite of the policies that Governor Romney believes in and are similar to the policies that allowed this nano center to be such a success. It doesn't happen without the private sector. It doesn't happen by demonizing those who are successful in business. It doesn't happen by saying the one thing you will do is raise taxes on successful business people in a second term, as President Obama has said..." Click Here To Listen To The Full Audio: http://www.gop.com/audio/5.8.2012_NewYork.mp3   ###

Republican Party of New York Chairman Ed Cox: "Today President Obama will be touring the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering in Albany...The development of this college, the very successful nanotech industry that has developed around it is one of two centers of nanoscale technology in the world, the other being in Belgium. That was developed about ten years ago by a Republican governor and was based on Republican principles. Those principles are that government funds should go to basic research and that government should work in private partnerships and not picking winners and losers but letting the markets decide who the winners and losers should be. "The contrast is with what President Obama did with his Stimulus Bill in which he supported winners and losers such as the Solyndra green jobs program, which was a solar company in which more than a half a million dollars were put in a loan guarantee and the market turned against it and the result was that the government is out that amount... "Barack Obama came in a president and the American people gave him a supermajority of 60 in the Senate a huge majority in the House and said he would focus on jobs and the economy. He didn't he focused on cap and trade, ObamaCare, Dodd-Frank things that in fact smothered the economy and didn't lead to the kind of recovery that the American people wanted. And that's why you saw the Republicans have such large gains in the House in 2010. The American people are focused on jobs and the economy..."   Former New York Governor George Pataki: "Republican policies, lower taxes, empowering the private sector, not picking winners or losers and certainly not rewarding political cronies and getting the regulatory process straightened out so that companies can build quickly is the reason we have had so much success. It is the opposite of the policies that President Obama has put into place which has created a far more difficult economic climate for businesses that want to invest and create jobs to succeed in the United States. "The fact that President Obama is there and has policies that are the opposite of the policies that Governor Romney believes in and are similar to the policies that allowed this nano center to be such a success. It doesn't happen without the private sector. It doesn't happen by demonizing those who are successful in business. It doesn't happen by saying the one thing you will do is raise taxes on successful business people in a second term, as President Obama has said..." Click Here To Listen To The Full Audio: http://www.gop.com/audio/5.8.2012_NewYork.mp3   ###

Excerpts from Breitbart By: Chairman Reince Priebus May 7, 2012 "Big Labor boss Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, knows more about President Obama's second term agenda than you do. He bragged about it on Sunday, talking about his many 'conversations' with Obama and his administration about their plans for the future. While perhaps not surprising, it's certainly troubling. "President Obama has spent the last three years putting union interests ahead of American economic interests-or as he likely sees it, returning a favor. Unions send millions of dollars to Democratic campaigns, and this year alone, they are expected to spend $400 million to support Obama's reelection. And they don't just donate money; they also have plans for their own voter-mobilization efforts. "President Obama has built his political life with the support of Big Labor, according to his mid-career memoir, The Audacity of Hope. Writing about his 2004 Senate primary race, he says, 'the leaders of several of the largest service workers unions ... broke ranks and chose to endorse me over Hynes.... So I owe those unions. When their leaders call, I do my best to call them back right away'... "It's no secret that Big Labor has long had something of a controlling stake in the Democratic Party. Under President Obama, though, it's gotten worse. Thanks to his NLRB appointments, a government rule-making board is stacked with political cronies... "With the economy struggling and the government running massive debts, we cannot afford four more years of this. America needs jobs and a government that serves the people's interests, not the special interests. "If President Obama gets a second term, he would be completely indebted to Big Labor for campaigning on his behalf. He would 'owe those unions' more than ever. And who knows what agenda they're plotting together." Click Here To Read The Full Op-Ed: http://bit.ly/KEiD1g   ###

WASHINGTON - The Republican National Committee (RNC) released a video "Are We Satisfied? No!" in response to President Obama's campaign kickoff event in Ohio today. Four years after asking to be judged on 'whether we'll be better off four years from now,' President Obama asked the crowd: 'are we satisfied?' Their answer? A resounding NO! Web video can be viewed here. Download the web video here.     "Four years ago President Obama set the goal posts with the question of 'will this country be better off four years from now?' Four years later, a crowd of his supporters gave him the answer so many Americans agree with - a resounding no. Even though Obama would like us to forget he's been president the past three years, Americans aren't satisfied with the Obama policies that have resulted in 12.5 million Americans unemployed, 5.5 million mortgages in foreclosure or delinquent, and a record $5 trillion added to the debt. Barack Obama is right, American's aren't satisfied and that's why we can't afford a second term," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.    ###

WASHINGTON - Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus and Co-Chairman Sharon Day released the following Cinco de Mayo message: "Today, we celebrate Cinco de Mayo, marking the impressive Mexican victory in the Battle of Puebla one-hundred and fifty years ago," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. "It was a victory for freedom and liberty, and it's altogether fitting that Americans of all backgrounds take part in celebrations on this day. "Cinco de Mayo is also a reminder of the countless ways Mexican-Americans have shaped our diverse American culture with the traditions and customs of Mexico. We think of all the contributions they have made to our country with a spirit of entrepreneurship and a dedication to faith and family. And we are especially mindful of the Mexican-American men and women and Hispanics of all descent who served and are serving in our armed forces." "Many Americans would know little of this festive day if generations of Mexican families had not come to our country to pursue a better life," said RNC Co-Chairman Sharon Day. "In search of the American Dream, they started businesses and worked tirelessly, building a future for their children and a stronger economy for our country. But today, that dream is threatened. Opportunity is in short supply. The coming election is our chance to change that, and Republicans will stand for the policies that safeguard prosperity for future generations. "So as we join in the Cinco de Mayo celebrations, let us remember its message: the importance of defending freedom and securing the blessings of liberty."   ###