Collins for Chairman
PRESS RELEASE from Gentry Collins
Dec. 13, 2010

Gentry Collins Announces Bid for RNC Chairman

– Vows to bring new energy and ideas to the RNC to revitalize fundraising and position the committee as a force in the 2012 contest for the White House –

Washington, D.C. – Former RNC National Political Director Gentry Collins today officially announced his campaign for Chairman of the Republican National Committee.

In a letter being sent to RNC members, Collins told members his campaign “is based on a plan for the future, not a critique of the past.”

In his announcement, Collins persuades members that “many of the most successful RNC chairmen have come from the ranks of operatives. That is – they have spent careers learning to win races in tough cycles in swing states.”

He cited roles leading the Republican Party of Iowa in 2004 in which Iowa went Republican for the first time since Reagan, and as the key campaign strategist who carried the only target state for McCain in 2008.

Joining the Collins for Chairman team is Iowa Republican Chairman Matt Strawn. Strawn recently announced that heʼs seeking a second term as Chairman. “I’m excited about Gentry’s announcement and will work hard to see that he’s elected. Gentry Collins will provide leadership that the RNC needs to defeat the Obama political machine,” said Strawn. “The RNC must be at the forefront of the effort to defeat President Obama in 2012. Gentryʼs leadership will provide the focus, financing and expertise to both return the RNC to prominence and give the states the necessary tools to elect a Republican president.”

Connecticut Chairman Chris Healy, who announced his support for Collins last week, said “Gentry Collins has the skills, temperament and clarity to lead our Party over the next 16 months – a critical period – to help complete the task of defeating the Obama agenda with Republican leadership.”

Collins is traveling the country, meeting with members, and sharing his plan for the RNC. In addition to revamping the finance program and cutting wasteful spending, Collins has suggested a program to bring referenda in as many as 23 states to repeal Obamacare through a vote of the people. Key 2012 battleground states would be included in the program to repeal Obamacare.

Collins also plans to host weekly calls, “Tuesday Townhall” meetings to roll out details of his plan for the RNC.





[transcript of web video, late December 2010]

Hi, I'm Gentry Collins, and today I want to talk about the party's top priority for 2012, putting the RNC back on sound financial footing.  Everyone running for RNC chairman agrees the RNC needs to strengthen our fundraising base.  I have a plan to get it done.

We start by rebuilding the trust of the major donor community.  There are several ways to do that. 

First, we need a sound business plan laying out our strategic opportunities and showing donors how we'll achieve success with the resources they're committing. 

Second, we demonstrate sound financial management practices so all donors large and small know that the dollars they invest aren't being wasted.  That's one of the reasons donors fled to other committees—they were concerned about the high rate of non-campaign related spending, money that went to pay for things that weren't part of our primary strategic objective: winning elections.  I'll impose a test for every dollar of spending at the RNC.  Is spending this dollar necessary to win elections?  If so, we'll find a way to raise it.  If not, we won't spend it. 

Third, we have to bring down the overall cost of fundraising.  During the 2010 cycle we spent almost 70 cents out of every dollar on fundraising.  The cost of fundraising has never been higher.  Traditionally the RNC has spent about 50 cents on each dollar raised, sometimes less.  I'll immediately implement a program to cut finance costs—event costs, expensive trinkets, finance-related travel and staff that doesn't directly contribute to the bottom line. 

At the same time we need to be much more aggressive in our outreach to major donors, to bring them back into the fold by making the case for the restoration of the RNC as the flagship committee of our party, especially during a presidential election when the RNC is uniquely positioned to play a central role that no other entity can fill.  We'll need to raise more than $400 million in the 2012 cycle, and we can't wait for a presidential nominee to bail out an underperforming committee.  We've got to fund the convention, strengthen our ground game and prepare the infrastructure for our fight with Obama and the work must begin Day One.

I know I can be successful because I've risen to the challenge before.  During the closing months of 2010 the finance team asked me to go on the road to bring back donors who were disillusioned with the RNC.  I travelled to ten states and met with more than two dozen major donors in the final weeks of the cycle, showing them our political plan and making the case for their support.  Those meetings raised critical late cash for our GOTV efforts and I know it made a difference.

I'm confident that the donors will respond to a strong business plan, and we'll give them one.  I believe that they will answer the call when a new chairman puts in the time to work with them, and I'll put in that time.  I know that we can put the RNC back on sound financial footing again, and with your help, I want to lead the way.

Tomorrow night I'll be hosting another Tuesday town hall and we'll be talking specifically about this plan.  I hope you'll join me.  We'll need everyone on the committee supporting the next chairman, working together, if we're going to be successful.  Thank you for your time, and I look forward to talking with you tomorrow night.