Michael Steele is back in the lead for RNC Chairman, after Ken Blackwell dropped out and endorsed him — but he’s still just short of a full majority. On top of that, third-place finisher Saul Anuzis dropped out and endorsed nobody.
Here are the fifth-ballot numbers, compared to the fourth:
⢠Steele 79 (+19)
⢠Dawson 69 (+7)
⢠Anuzis 20 (-11)
As mentioned above, Anuzis dropped out after the vote, but didn’t make an endorsement. “We’ve got two great people still running,” said Anuzis, wishing the best of luck to the eventual winner.
Steele at this point should be regarded as the most likely to win, as he is only six votes short of the magic number 85.
