Wisconsin Republican Party chief Reince Priebus has the early momentum as Republican National Committee members gathered Friday afternoon to choose the party’s next chairman.
Mr. Priebus edged incumbent RNC Chairman Michael Steele in the first round of voting by the 168 members of the party’s central organ, 45-44, though both fell far short of the 85 votes needed to be elected. None of the other candidates — Maria Cino, a former Bush administration official who ran the party’s 2008 convention; former Michigan party chairman Saul Anuzis; and Ann Wagner, former ambassador to Luxembourg and a former head of the Missouri Republican Party — had more than 32 votes.
Mr. Priebus extended his lead in the second round, garnering 52 votes while Mr. Steele fell to 37 votes. Ms. Cino recieved 30 votes, Ms. Wagner 27 votes and Mr. Anuzis 22 votes.
Mr. Steele, former lieutenant governor of Maryland and the first black to head the Republican Party, is seeking a second two-year term as RNC head. But his rivals say the RNC has suffered financially and organizationally since he took over in January 2009.
The vote is the climax of the RNC’s annual three-day winter meeting, being held this year at the National Harbor resort just outside Washington D.C.
• Ralph Z. Hallow can be reached at rhallow@gmail.com.
• David R. Sands can be reached at dsands@washingtontimes.com.
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