Steele Wavers on RNC Chair Bid

Challengers are jumping into the RNC chairman's race, yet incumbent Michael Steele has stayed silent and still not announced whether he will run for reelection.

Why has RNC Chairman Michael Steele still not announced a bid for reelection?

Chairman Steele has been uncharacteristically quiet since the election in November, popping up most recently in mid-November to defend his record.

"The RNC has been, and will be, focused on a single goal: building an enduring majority party - from the grassroots up," he wrote in a memo at the time, leading to speculation that a reelection campaign was imminent. "The 2010 election is the first step, but only the first, towards achieving that goal."

Steele’s closest allies on the RNC have predicted that he’ll run, but say that Steele has not made up his mind.  Holly Hughes has previously told FrumForum that she couldn’t see why Steele wouldn’t decide on a reelection bid. “He’s been one of the most successful RNC chairmen in history,” she said in November.

More recently, a strong supporter of the chairman told FrumForum this week that Steele’s decision not to announce early has allowed the field of competition to coalesce – providing him a strategic advantage. But this RNC member also admitted that Steele had not made his intentions clear.

The bottom line is that Chairman Steele, wherever his mind is currently at, has still not informed his close allies on the committee or senior aides as to whether he’ll ultimately decide to run. And for every moment he doesn’t run, those who have previously supported him may be increasingly tempted by entreaties from rival camps.

The outcome of the race will be greatly affected by whether or not Steele runs, as even his opponents concede that he has control of at least 40 votes on a committee of 168 members. Former Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman in particular is anxious to see what Steele decides: he has expressed a willingness to enter the race if Steele stays out.

Former ally Reince Priebus, also the chair of the Wisconsin GOP, has already resigned the general counsel post assigned to him by Steele. Reid Wilson reports in Hotline on Call that Steele’s formerly rock solid support from Guam is now gone. Steele’s coalition is slowly slipping away.

As FrumForum's whip count page shows, there is only one month and four days until the RNC Winter Meeting. If Steele is serious about this race, he’ll need to announce a reelection bid in the next few days to even have a shot at another term. FrumForum’s eyes will be peeled to see what he does.

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