A majority of the Republican National Committee’s 168 members have turned against Chairman Michael Steele, almost guaranteeing he won’t win re-election to another two-year term when the RNC meets next week.
A Politico survey shows that 88 RNC members have decided not to back Steele. Some of those 88 say they support one of his opponents, and 55 say they won’t vote for him under any circumstances. Only 16 members say they support him.
No one lists Steele as his/her second choice, and that’s likely a signal of doom for him in a race that is likely to last multiple ballots. A candidate must receive 85 votes to win.
Of the 168 RNC members, 115 revealed their views in the survey.
While Steele is now a huge long shot, it’s unclear who will emerge victorious. Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus holds the lead in Politico’s poll, with 32 RNC members choosing him as their first choice, and three more picking him second.
Former Missouri Republican Party Chair Ann Wagner ranks second with 13 members supporting her for first place and five for second place. Michigan RNC Committeeman Saul Anuzis has 11 supporters for first place and four for second place. Former Deputy RNC Chair and current Pfizer lobbyist Maria Cino has six backers for first place and four for second place.
Many of Steele’s backers come from small states, including Idaho and Montana, and territories such as the Virgin Islands. He hasn’t been able to garner much fresh support since announcing his bid for re-election a week before Christmas.
Though Steele has little chance to win, he apparently won’t go down without a fight. The beleaguered chairman will “name names” and “make it personal” when he faces off with his four opponents at Monday’s debate hosted by The Daily Caller and Americans for Tax Reform, someone familiar with his thinking tells FoxNews.com.
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