Update on the race for RNC Chair - Granite Grok

Update on the race for RNC Chair

This is to give you an update on the happenings at the RNC. I will be in D.C. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week.  On Monday, Grover Norquist’s group, Americans For Tax Reform, is hosting a debate for the candidates for RNC Chairman on Monday at the Press Club.  If you’d like to tune in it will be live streamed at www.rncdebate.org and it begins at 1 PM.
 
On Tuesday, from 9 AM to 4 PM there will be interviews of each individual candidate, a discussion about the candidates, and a straw poll.  This is being sponsored by the RNC Conservative Steering Committee of which Sean Mahoney and I are both members.  The purpose of this new committee is to advance the conservative principles of the Republican National Committee by providing a forum for informal discussion among conservative RNC members regarding issues of common concern.  The committee now has eighty-seven members, a majority of the RNC, and is primarily concerned at this time with electing a conservative leader.  Jim Bopp, the Chair of this committee is also the prime sponsor of a resolution authorizing the RNC to take all steps necessary to oppose bailouts of industries, individuals, or governments.  There are twenty-five people signed onto this resolution and Sean Mahoney is one of the co-signers.
 
Then on Wednesday, January 7th, there will be a special meeting of the RNC which is being called at the request of the members.  The RNC bylaws provide that if members representing a minimum of sixteen states request a special meeting, the Chairman is required to hold one within ten days.  There were 23 members, representing nineteen states that petitioned the Chairman to hold this meeting to discuss the upcoming election and the chairmanship.  This will not replace the winter meeting of the RNC which will also be held in D.C. from January 28th through the 31st at which time we will elect the new RNC Chairman and the rest of the officers of the committee.
 
There are several announced candidates and most of them will be at the debate and meeting.  They have been actively calling, writing, meeting with, and courting all 168 members.  It’s getting pretty intense.  This is an extremely important election as the Chair of the RNC will be the spokesperson for the GOP during a Democrat administration.  I, along with the other members, have been reading each of their plans, questioning them, and assessing their qualifications.  This will be a very thorough vetting process and the competition is heating up which means we are hearing attacks on the character and qualifications of all the members from time to time.  We have some outstanding individuals who are seeking the office of Chairman
 
Just a FYI, this is the list of candidates who have officially announced:

  • Mike Duncan  (Current Chairman)
  • Katon Dawson
  • Saul Anuzis
  • Ken Blackwell
  • Michael Steele
  • Chip Saltsman
  • David Gosselin

 Thought you might like to be appraised of what’s going on and I’d welcome any input.
 
-Phyllis

 

[Phyllis Woods is the Chair of the Strafford County Republicans here in NH and is the current NH National Committeewoman; she will be voting for the next RNC Chair.  The ‘Grok appreciates Phyllis’s time to keep us updated!  She has also previously written here for us.  -Skip]

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