Alexandria, Va. (February 7, 2011) – The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) announced today that Chris Jankowski will serve as the Committee’s new President and that the group added former Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and former Ambassador David Wilkins as new board members. Jankowski previously served as Executive Director of the RSLC’s REDistricting MAjority Project, a program that saw the pick-up of nearly 700 legislative seats and 20 legislative chambers across the country.

“Chris was instrumental in the RSLC’s success in 2010 and we are thrilled that he will be leading the RSLC as President heading into an election cycle that will be instrumental to defending and winning even more races for attorney general, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and state legislator,” said RSLC Chairman Ed Gillespie.

As President of the RSLC, Jankowski will manage the day-to-day operations of the committee including overseeing a political operation that has a proven record of winning state-level races across the country since its 2002 inception. In January, current RSLC President Scott Ward announced he would be leaving the RSLC to return to the private practice of law where he will focus on campaign finance law and serve as outside counsel to the RSLC. Ward served as the President of the RSLC since January 2008 and oversaw the successful efforts of the Committee in the 2008 cycle and the 2010 cycle.

In addition to REDMAP, Jankowski played a pivotal role in Virginia’s 2009 landslide election of Governor Bob McDonnell, along with Republican victories for lieutenant governor, attorney general and a net Republican pick-up of six House of Delegates seats.

“Under Chris’s leadership, the RSLC hits the ground running in the 2011 election states and will continue its work with state caucuses, preparing for the 2012 elections and ensuring those states have the resources they need to continue Republican momentum,” said Gillespie.

Gillespie also welcomed two Republican leaders who joined the RSLC Board. Bill McCollum of Florida, former State Attorney General and member of Congress and David Wilkins, former US Ambassador to Canada and former Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives were elected to the Board. “The addition of these two leaders will strengthen our oversight of the Committee’s activities and be a source of great advice and strategy for the RSLC,” Gillespie said.

About the RSLC
The RSLC is the largest caucus of Republican state leaders and the only national organization whose mission is to elect down ballot, state-level Republican office-holders. Since 2002, the RSLC has been working to elect candidates for the office of attorney general, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and state legislator. The RSLC has more than 100,000 donors in all 50 states. The RSLC raised more than $30 million for the 2009-2010 cycle as part of an effort that picked up 20 legislative chambers, six Attorneys General, three Lieutenant Governors and seven Secretaries of State.