Mitt Romney declared the end to the primary race in a New Hampshire speech Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning, the Republican National Committee joined in, with RNC Chair Reince Priebus declaring Romney the GOP’s “presumptive nominee.”
From the Washington Post‘s report on how the RNC and the Romney campaign are coming together:
The leading edge of the synchronization will be four liaisons between the two organizations. Brian Jones, who has been serving as an adviser to Romney since late last year, will lead that effort. Kevin Madden, who served as the press secretary for Romney’s 2008 presidential bid, will advise the communications operation and serve as a DC-based television surrogate for the Romney/RNC effort. Ward Baker, a veteran Tennessee-based GOP strategist, will help coordinate the political and field teams. Ron Kaufman, a veteran RNC member, and Ben Ginsberg, who served as national counsel to Romney’s 2008 race, will also facilitate interaction between the two groups.
Those familiar with the moves emphasized that they were not a takeover of the RNC by the Romney campaign — as has happened in past elections when the identity of the nominee became clear — but rather an integration designed to maximize the effectiveness of the two organizations.
