Maryland Politics: First Round RNC Election: Duncan Leads, Steele A Close Second - Your source of news and gossip from the Mason-Dixon Line to the Potomac

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January 30, 2009

First Round RNC Election: Duncan Leads, Steele A Close Second

Here are the results of the first round of the RNC Chairman's election:

Mike Duncan (incumbent)--52

Michael Steele--46

Katon Dawson--28

Saul Anuzis--22

Ken Blackwell--20

Applause greeted Steele's second-place total, which was much closer to Duncan than many had anticipated. The question now is whether Duncan's total begins to slip.

Looked at another way, the vast majority of votes were cast for change. Where Duncan's votes go, assuming he falls short, could determine the outcome.

There had been rumors, not flatly denied by Steele aides, that Duncan would throw his support to Steele after the first couple of ballots if it became clear that he couldn't win.

Of course, there's no guarantee that his supporters will follow his advice.

It takes a total of 85 votes to win. The next round of balloting will begin in 15 minutes.

Posted by Paul West at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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About the bloggers

Laura Smitherman has been ensconced in the State House basement, writing about the governor, General Assembly and vagaries of Maryland politics for several years. An erstwhile business reporter, her interest in politics dates to her days in Washington when she covered Congress and national campaigns for another media outlet. She now follows a range of policy debates from slot-machine gambling to universal health care and energy regulation, while keeping an eye on the next election.

Paul West covers Washington for The Baltimore Sun, continuing a tradition that began the month the paper was born, in 1837. He hasn't been in the DC bureau that long--only since Ronald Reagan was president. He's covered Congress, the White House and presidential campaigns as the paper's national political correspondent and Washington bureau chief. He's on the lookout for news of significance to Sun readers at the other end of the B/W Parkway. That includes the activities of the state's congressional delegation and anything else that might shed some light on the inner workings of the nation's capital.

Julie Bykowicz's first days as a political reporter, in January 2009, coincided with Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's indictment and the start of the Maryland General Assembly's 426th legislative session. She focuses on coverage of state agencies, such as social services, juvenile justice and prisons. During the session, she wrote about the death penalty, slots parlors and speed cameras, among other hot topics. Julie began political reporting after more than seven years on The Baltimore Sun's crime desk. She lives in Baltimore and works primarily in Annapolis.

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