Steele: Still Big in Guam

Michael Steele has built close ties to the RNC delegates from America's island territories. But will they stick with him through the balloting?

With less than one day to go before the start of balloting for the Republican National Committee chairman elections, a large amount of attention will be paid to the votes of delegates from outside the continental United States.  RNC Chair Michael Steele has built close ties to the delegates from America's island territories and maintains their strong support.  The 21 votes from non-continental delegates provide a quarter of the votes he needs for reelection. But will the delegates hold for Steele as the chair election proceeds through multiple ballots?

FrumForum sat down with Holland Redfield, a National Committeeman and former six-term senator from the U.S. Virgin Islands. Redfield, who says that he is the spokesperson for the Island territories caucus, told FF: "The RNC race, for us, is what we call the great equalizer. We don't get to elect the President of the United States, we don't have voting members of Congress. This is where we get to make a difference."

Redfield stressed the clout that the non-continental delegates had: 21 votes from Hawaii, Alaska, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Marianas Islands. These 21 votes, if consolidated, represent about a quarter of the 85 votes necessary for a candidate to be elected RNC chairman. According to RNC rules, each territory has the same clout as say, Texas, New York or California.

At this time, two of Puerto Rico's RNC members have declared their support for candidates other than Steele: National Committeewoman Zori Fonalledas for former RNC co-chairman Ann Wagner, and National Committeeman Luis Fortuno for Wisconsin state chair Reince Priebus.

But Redfield said that the territories would caucus between ballots, and that although at this point there is some disagreement among delegates, they are likely to work out their differences as the balloting ensues.

Holland Redfield, for one, told FrumForum that Steele had stood behind the island territories. "I will stress that Steele has been very good to the territories, and that he has been the first [RNC chairman] in a very long time to give us the respect and attention that we deserve."

Steele has a record of sending money to the island territories. As Hotline's Reid Wilson has assiduously tracked, Steele has sent $20k to the Northern Marianas Islands; $15k to Guam; and spent $340k on the 2009 RNC winter meeting in Hawaii.

It is a good bet that Steele will get strong first, even second, ballot support from the island territories as a gesture of appreciation. But after that, all bets are off.

When pressed about where the island territories might be leaning for second choice, Redfield declined to answer.

Anuzis, who had a chunk of support from the territories and islands in the 2009 RNC elections (before they decided to go with Steele) has told FrumForum in the past that he’s confident in picking up some support from them this time around.

“I have very good relations with the territories and the islands – I suspect that I will get my fair share of support from them. Most of them are supporting Michael Steele, at least on the first ballot. I think that’s fine, that’s part of the process,” Anuzis told FrumForum after the January RNC candidates forum.

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