December 14, 2010 08:39 PM UTC

Will Colorado Republicans Support Steele for RNC Chair?

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• by: Colorado Pols

As our friends at “The Fix” explain:

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele’s announcement Monday that he will seek a second term as chairman of the committee stunned the political world and left strategists scrambling to assess the impact he could have on the contest.

Steele, in a detailed statement released last night announcing his intentions, sought to claim credit for Republican gains at the ballot box in November and insisted his job was only half done…

…While Steele’s stridency to prove his naysayers wrong is without question, his ability to win the race is far less clear. Sources knowledgeable about the alliances of the 168 members of the RNC estimate the chairman’s support at roughly 40-50 votes — roughly half of those he would need to claim a second term.

How Steele plans to build beyond that base — and whether he can — remains to be seen but it’s hard to see his reelection campaign succeeding, particularly given the forces lined up against him and with other candidates.

The current favorite, in fact, seems to be Wisconsin Republican party chairman Reince Priebus who managed Steele’s 2009 RNC campaign. Priebus has been gathering support from committee members formerly loyal to Steele.

The performance of Steele was a recurring topic among Colorado Republicans in advance of last August’s Primary, especially after reports of lavish spending emerged in the spring. Colorado Republican Party Chair Dick Wadhams has tentatively supported Steele both recently and during a summer visit. Other Colorado Republicans have been less supportive, including Rep.-elect Cory Gardner, who tossed Steele to the Tea Party wolves in April.