Michael Steele drops out of running for Republican National Committee chairman

WASHINGTON – Michael Steele has abandoned his bid to retain his post as chairman of the Republican National Committee, dropping out of contention Friday after four rounds of voting at a party gathering in suburban Washington.

Wisconsin Republican Party chairman Reince Priebus leads with 58 votes, twice as many as any of the other four candidates but short of the majority needed to claim the top GOP leadership position.

Steele, who was neck-and-neck with Priebus on the initial vote, had fallen into fourth place as the fifth round was set to begin.

Incumbent Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele participates in a debate earlier this month. (Alex Wong / Getty Images)

"I think the party is ready for something different," an emotional Steele said as he addressed party stalwarts in National Harbor, Maryland. "At this time I will step aside for others to lead. But in so doing I hope you all appreciate the legacy we leave."

Steele then endorsed Maria Cino, a longtime Republican strategist who also served in the administration of George W. Bush.

The former lieutenant governor of Maryland was elected as chairman in January 2009, but he failed to attract much support after his surprise decision last month to seek another term. A leading reason was enunciated as the meeting convened earlier, when the RNC's treasurer announced that the party remains more than $20 million in debt.

When he won the chairmanship, Steele represented a change that even party insiders wanted after eight years of President George W. Bush. Running as an outsider, he was elected days after President Obama took office. Supporters saw him as a charismatic speaker who could give the party a new, more diverse image.

But perceptions of Steele as an articulate messenger proved mistaken, as he stumbled into a series of verbal gaffes that never really ended. Last summer, his description of the conflict in Afghanistan as "a war of Obama's choosing" horrified Republicans who backed the effort and remembered its origins under Bush. He suggested last winter that Republicans would not succeed in taking over the House, a view that left many in the GOP fuming.

Management problems at party headquarters in Washington also drew increasing, and unwanted, attention. Steele's chief of staff and another aide were dismissed after nearly $2,000 in RNC money was spent at a sex-themed West Hollywood nightclub. A falloff in contributions from big donors gave critics another target.

Other candidates include Ann Wagner, a former national committee official under Bush and Michigan committeeman Saul Anuzis.

Cino has the support of new House Speaker John Boehner, who held an event with RNC members to boost her bid Wednesday night.

The new chairman will be tasked with helping the party get back on secure financial ground and focusing its efforts on supporting the party's nominee in 2012, presumably against Obama.

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