Slowly, RNC members commit to candidates

Candidates hoping to chair the Republican National Committee received a few extra presents over the holiday as some of the 168 voting committee members made their endorsements public.

So far, committee members have been reluctant to announce which candidate they will be backing, preferring to listen to each candidate make their pitch and withholding judgment. But with the election just a month away and pressure mounting, at least 31 of the 168 have made their picks public, according to a count compiled by The Hill.

{mosads}It takes a simple majority — 85 votes — to become the next RNC chairman.

Michigan Republican Party chairman Saul Anuzis leads The Hill’s count. He has picked up backing from several RNC members representing outlying territories, including Guam members Victor Cruz and Peter Alecxis Ada, along with Roman “Bo” Palacios of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Those members are added to a list that already includes the chairmen of the Connecticut, Nevada and New Jersey Republican Parties, which gives Anuzis 12 public backers.

Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who jumped into the race late, has nonetheless started quickly. Just before Christmas, Blackwell announced endorsements from the three-person Texas delegation, along with Virgin Islands national committeeman Holland Redfield.

A source close to Blackwell says the campaign is close to announcing support from Mark Hillman, the newly elected national committeeman from Colorado.

Many of Blackwell’s 11 public endorsers are associated with the Eagle Forum, the conservative organization headed by Phyllis Schlafly. The group backed Blackwell’s bid for governor of Ohio in 2006.

South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Katon Dawson also counts a significant number of public supporters, including New Mexico GOP chief Alan Weh and Alabama party head Mike Hubbard. Dawson will also pick up support from Iowa committee members Steve Scheffler and Kim Lehman, bringing his total to seven.

Incumbent chairman Robert “Mike” Duncan’s campaign claims just three public votes, while former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele has just two public backers. Former Tennessee Republican Party chairman Chip Saltsman has not announced any supporters.

Still, public commitments may be only the tip of the iceberg for all the candidates. A number of the 168 voters, made up of state party chairmen and a national committee members from each state, have privately made their preference known while declining to comment publicly.

Sources close to Duncan privately exude confidence over the chairman’s internal whip count, and those watching the race expect Duncan to lead after the first ballot. Steele has refused to make his list public, though several RNC members have told The Hill they will back him, on condition their names not be used publicly.