The Contenders for RNC Chair

A largely thankless job running a down-and-out party—no wonder these guys are fighting tooth-and-nail. Politico handicaps the candidates for Republican National Committee chair:

• Mike Duncan: The current RNC chair’s record is mixed. Despite his prolific fundraising, he presided over both the 2008 disaster and the mini-rebound the party enjoyed in elections after November 4.

• Saul Anuzis: Chairman of the Michigan GOP, the colorful Anuzis has been picking up steam. “If I had to assign momentum in what has been a very, very sleepy race, I’d assign it to Anuzis,” says a strategist. But Republicans have gotten stomped in Michigan lately.
• Michael Steele: A great communicator and an African American, Steele has a leg up when it comes to outreach. But doubts persist about his commitment to social conservatism.
• Katon Dawson: As head of the South Carolina Republicans, Dawson has a pretty good record, and his message of state-level control is appealing. But he used to belong to an all-white country club, and does the party really need to seem more Southern?

To read the full list, click the link below.
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