Former Texas GOP chair hired by RNC to prep for contested convention

Steve Munisteri, former chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, was hired by the Republican National Committee to coordinate grassroots outreach and answer procedural questions in anticipation of a complicated contested convention. less Steve Munisteri, former chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, was hired by the Republican National Committee to coordinate grassroots outreach and answer procedural questions in anticipation of a ... more Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Former Texas GOP chair hired by RNC to prep for contested convention 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

The Republican National Committee has hired former Texas GOP chairman Steve Munisteri to help lead an outreach effort aimed at ensuring a smooth ride through a contested convention.

Munisteri, who chaired the Republican Party of Texas between 2012 and 2015, said he was brought on board as a senior adviser to the national committee largely because of his experience "keeping peace" in Texas' large contest-laden convention of 2012.

Mathematical breakdown of the GOP primary strongly suggests that the party is headed for a complicated contested convention in July. That happens when no candidate claims a majority of the primary vote, and the national assembly of delegates casts a series of ballots until a nominee is elected. And it could get messy.

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"Normally the conventions are pretty scripted and people show up to have a good time and give a send-off to the party's presumptive nominee. We don't know if that will happen this time," he said. "(If it doesn't,) many delegates would have many questions about how the process works and what's going to happen."

Munisteri's hiring came as part of the RNC's Grassroots Assistance Project, announced Thursday—part of an initiative to educate all participants on the process and procedures of the convention before thousands of Republicans gather in Cleveland in July.

RNC chairman Reince Priebus said in a press release Thursday, "As we lay the groundwork for a fair and transparent convention, ensuring our delegate are informed and prepared is one of our highest priorities."

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As the vast majority of delegates are yet to be elected by state conventions, Munisteri is reaching out to the chairmen and directors of state Republican Parties to establish open lines of communication and ensure that questions are met with answers.

He cited an example: if only part of the delegate assembly is present for a vote, does a vote require 50 percent of those present or 50 percent of all delegates? Answer: 50 percent of everyone.

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The pages and pages of RNC rules, he said, can be pretty dense.

The other half of his role involves combatting misinformation and misunderstandings. He said that people often misidentify Republican pundits or officials on TV as speaking for the RNC, which maintains strict neutrality in the presidential primary.

He aims to reassure voters, delegates and convention participants that the nomination process will unfold fairly.

"We don't take sides in the presidential race. We're more like the referee," he said. "Misinformation gets out there. It's very important to have transparency."