Fox News has learned that Mitt Romney will address the Republican National Committee meeting of State Party Chairmen this Friday in Phoenix, stake his claim to the GOP presidential nomination and call upon party leaders to unite.

The meeting will be attended by more than 40 of the RNC’s 50 state GOP chairmen, along with 200 additional GOP officials, activists and political professionals as they gear up for the fall campaign to oust President Obama.

Though Romney has had a major fundraiser planned for Friday in Phoenix for some time, his appearance at the RNC meeting was only finalized on Monday.

Romney is expected to assume the role of titular head of the GOP as the all-but-certain presidential nominee.

Romney will give his marching orders to the state GOP chairmen and spur them to the shared cause of retaking the White House.

State Party Chairmen are crucial links to each states’ grass roots -- Romney’s success or failure depends greatly on their help.

Also in Phoenix, the RNC plans to propose reforms to this years’ primary process by defining “proportional allocation" of delegates for 2016.

It’s a big deal -- there was no such definition for 2012, and states allocated delegates in varied and confusing ways. (read more)

Rep. Ben Quayle, R-Ariz., slammed the Club for Growth on Thursday for warning the House GOP leadership to stay out of his incumbent-versus-incumbent primary with fellow freshman Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz.

In a letter to Club for Growth president Chris Chocola, Quayle accused the group of hypocrisy for interfering with the leadership's potential involvement in his primary.

"It is ironic that an organization founded in principles of freedom and limited government could have come to such a dictatorial turn," Quayle wrote. "I was not aware that the Club's mission includes dictating to high-ranking officials who they may and may not support. It is ironic that an organization founded in principles of freedom and limited government could have come to such a dictatorial turn."

House Majority Eric Cantor, R-Va., caught flak from conservative activist groups after he endorsed Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., over Rep. Donald Manzullo, R-Ill., in a similar member-versus-member primary. Kinzinger defeated Manzullo earlier this week. On Wednesday, the Club for Growth warned Cantor and other members of the House leadership team against picking sides again in Quayle's upcoming fight with Schweikert. (read more)

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant on Saturday compared Mitt Romney to President Ronald Reagan, as the governor talked up the GOP frontrunner in the run-up to Tuesday's primary.

Bryant threw his support behind Romney earlier this week. On Fox News' "America's News Headquarters," the governor was asked about the stiff competition his candidate faces in upcoming Southern contests - and was asked if it's fair to compare Romney's campaign to that of Richard Nixon's, who once said: "They don't like me, but they tolerate me." Bryant said that was not a fair comparison.

"I wouldn't get close to that. I think the fair comparison is Ronald Reagan," he claimed.
"He came to Mississippi from California and he had been a Democrat and they listened to Ronald Reagan. They said he played in the movies and was a governor and former president of a union. I can remember in those days, there was an idea of, who is this Ronald Reagan guy and should we embrace him? They did as they got to know Ronald Reagan and they will get to know Mitt Romney," he said.

Los Angeles, Calif. - Coin by coin, Newt Gingrich slowly filled up his modestly sized coffers in the Golden State this week, at the same time courting leaders of minority groups who -- the campaign says -- could prove to be kingmakers if no candidate is able to wrap up the nomination by the state's primary, June 5.

"We've exceeded our goal of $2 million dollars since the start of the campaign," Eric Beach, state finance chair said, telling Fox News that he is "very pleased" with the numbers given that it's Gingrich's second trip to the state since he announced his candidacy.

The campaign has yet to say exactly how much Gingrich raised during this particular four-day swing, which had eight fundraisers on the schedule. The campaign reported raising $660,000 through the end of 2011, a figure dwarfed by the $6.6 million Mitt Romney fundraised that year in California.

Mike Schroeder, who served as Romney's political director in 2008, disagreed with critics who say Gingrich could have made better use of his time had he been campaigning elsewhere. Gingrich has kept a relatively low profile in California, making minor headlines feeding pandas at the San Diego Zoo and lunching with Condoleezza Rice at the Hoover Institute. (read more)

Voters are less than three weeks out from the biggest contested Republican primary of Super Tuesday on March 6. 

That's Ohio, the always-critical presidential battleground state.

Lots of excitement? Lots of activity? Lots of money being spent?

No, no ... and no.

For now, it is a low-budget, low-key affair in the Ohio nominating contest.

In terms of campaign visits to Ohio, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum have yet to make a stop here (though Santorum will be in Ohio on Friday).

Newt Gingrich's first swing through the Buckeye State was just last week. Mitt Romney has made a couple of visits.

That's it. 

Ditto grassroots campaign operations.

"(That's) largely non-existent," said Chris Littleton, a Paul supporter in Westchester. 

So, without a campaign to work for, some banded together to create their own presidential political operation. 

Littleton said, "There are many of us who decided ... we didn't see the campaigns were going to engage in a large level, so we decided to do it for ourselves." (read more)

TAMPA, Fla. -- Florida's primary might not be over just yet.

The Newt Gingrich campaign is gearing up to challenge the results of the Florida Republican presidential primary based on the Republican National Committee's own rules which state that no contest can be winner-take-all prior to April 1, 2012. (See RNC memo.)

It was assumed that Mitt Romney, who won Tuesday's contest, would gain all 50 of the state's delegates. But the Gingrich campaign plans to challenge Florida's allocation and demand the delegates be divvied up proportionally. (See Gingrich memo.)

Fox News has learned exclusively that on Thursday, a Florida Gingrich campaign official will begin the process of trying to have the RNC rules enforced so that the Sunshine State delegates are distributed based on the percentage of the vote each candidate got. (read more)

Republican Presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney, announced the endorsement of a key Hispanic leader today while campaigning in Florida just ahead of the primary.

"As president, I look forward to working with Governor Fortuno on the issues most pressing for the people of Puerto Rico - job creation, public safety and resolving the Island's 113-year political status question. Every job created on the Island is another American job added to our nation's economic comeback," Romney's statement read.

Governor Luis Fortuno, a rising star in the Republican party and the first Republican to be elected as Governor of Puerto Rico since 1969, will be joining Romney at an event in Orlando this evening.

In a statement, Fortuno said Romney's private-sector experience can "provide economic stability for generations and "be applied to all challenges."

Earlier today, Romney said he would support a move by Puerto Rico to become a statehood, noting Fortuno was "passionate" about the issue. His statements drew large cheers at the Hispanic Leadership forum in Miami. (read more)

House Speaker John Boehner will face a challenge in the GOP primary next year, Fox News has confirmed.

26-year-old David Lewis, who does not live in Boehner's Ohio district, has filed with the Butler County Board of Elections (in Boehner's home county) to challenge the speaker on March 6.

Lewis is a Tea Party loyalist who lives in Clermont County on the east side of Cincinnati.

Asked about the challenge, Boehner spokesman Cory Fritz said: "The Speaker is focusing on working for the people of the eighth district to cut wasteful Washington spending, eliminate excessive regulations and help create a better environment for jobs and long-term economic growth."

Boehner did not face a primary challenge last year, though Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones has flirted with previous bids. Boehner did face his most active opponent in years in the general election last year.

Still, Boehner handily dispatched Democrat Justin Coussoule in November 2010, collecting nearly two-thirds of all votes cast.