Vote on Michael Steele Today

The RNC picks its next chairman Friday and the result is far from certain. Reince Priebus, a former adviser to current chairman Michael Steele, is in the lead with 44 members, a quarter of the voting committee, according to Politico. Steele is in second place with 24, trailed closely by Michigan committeeman Saul Anuzis, Missouri GOP Chair Ann Wagner, and Pfizer lobbyist Maria Cino. But Steele may have a card up his sleeve: U.S. territories such as Guam and American Samoa, which haven’t let on whom they’re voting for, are expected to go for him. Another potential complication comes from an RNC provision requiring the committee to have a chairman and co-chairman of different genders; the Louisiana Republican Party chairman is campaigning for the co-chairmanship, so his supporters may vote for Wagner or Cino. The winner will have a tough job, as the RNC’s troubles have caused the party to turn to outside organizations like American Crossroads for help expanding its voter database.