RNC Race a Toss-Up
The Hill reports:
The race for the chairmanship for the Republican National Committee remains remarkably open with less than a month to go.
To win, a candidate must gain the support of 85 of the 168 members of the Republican National Committee, most of whom remain publicly undecided.
Of the six candidates, no clear front-runner has emerged against Chairman Michael Steele, who is running for a second term. But Wisconsin Party Chairman Reince Priebus, former Michigan GOP chairman Saul Anuzis, and former Missouri Republican Party chair Ann Wagner are considered the top contenders.
Also in the running are former Bush administration official Maria Cino and former RNC political director Gentry Collins.
It’s remarkably similar situation to the 2009 race, which had six candidates in the mix and no census choice. Steele won on the sixth ballot.
Now the incumbent chairman is defending his controversial tenure amid criticisms of management style in the midterm elections and limited fundraising for the party. And his rivals are using those negative reviews to tout their qualifications as the next chairman will lead the party through the 2012 presidential campaign.
Charlie Webster, chairman of the Maine Republican Party, said he thought the race was still a “toss-up” but planned to support Steele in his bid for re-election.
“He was supportive of Maine [in the November elections] so I feel an obligation to support him now,” said Webster.
Others want another option.
Matt Pinnell, head of the Oklahoma Republican Party, said he would not vote for Steele and was leaning towards another candidate.
“I’m tired of the drama, and I think whoever the next chairman is, we need someone who can bring this committee together and bring the party together, and raise the resources to run an effective campaign to make sure we get a Republican back in the White House,” he said.
Candidates will be looking for endorsements over the holidays as they try to cobble together enough votes to take them over the threshold. The election is at the party’s annual meeting on Jan. 20 and there will be a debate on Jan. 3 at the National Press Club.
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