RNC Chairman Steele Steps Down; Can Prieubus Fill His Shoes?

The announcement on Friday that the Republican National Committee's Chairman Michael Steele stepped down came as a shock to some and a relief to others. This move ends a two-year reign and before being voted out, he openly endorsed Maria Cino to be voted in as his successor. However, Steele's endorsement apparently did not hold enough weight with the committee since Cino would not get to play the part. Instead, the party officially elected Reince Priebus to the seat following a four-hour long voting session.

Who is Reince Priebus?

Reince Priebus, a Republican from Wisconsin, was educated at the University of Miami School of Law where he received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) in 1998. Before that, in 1994, he studied at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and received a Bachelor of Science. He was then admitted to Wisconsin Bar Association in 1998, in between he also worked as the copy editor for the University of Miami School of Law's Journal, the Res Ipsa Loquitur" and was a member of the Miami Business law Review.

Currently, Mr. Priebus is a partner of the Michael Best & Freidrich LLP Litigation Practice Group as well as the Government and Public Policy Group and Construction Group's Co-Chairman. While serving in these groups, Mr. Priebus handles the day-to-day corporate litigation and other aspects of corporate law.

What does he bring to the table?

Mr. Priebus has always been a part of the US legal system and has an impressive resume to bring to the table as the Republican National Committee Chairman. Even before studying law, Mr. Priebus was part of the legislature of Wisconsin and the State Assembly Education Committee where he served as the Committee Clerk. He was also a clerk for Wisconsin's Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals as well as the US District Court and others. His previous positions as part of the General Counsel of the Republican National Committee and the Presidential Preference Selection Committee set the stage for his election as the Chairman of the RNC.

Mr. Priebus obviously knows how to manage legislature issues. Mr. Steele mostly sat and watched issues fly by. He also allowed organizations from the outside to come in and take over campaigning, advertising, fund raising, and other duties. While, yes, these organizations were on the side of the GOP, what Steele allowed them to do was take over the efforts that were usually reserved for the RNC itself. Why would a Committee Chairman allow other organizations to device what the committee should do and how it should perform?

Mr. Priebus, on the other hand has a "go get `em" attitude and has promised that, " We're going to bring real leadership back," and that, "We have a lot of work to do." His statement was made in reference to winning back the financial donors that the Party had lost since the two years that Steele was Chairman. Additionally, the GOP has lost some of its power in the nation, as well as sullied its image under Steele's direction.

Can Mr. Priebus do it? With the impressive resume and the fierce and confident attitude, it appears that he might have a chance to lead the Republican National Committee back to greatness and out of the hole that Steele has apparently dug for them. If he continues to fight for the Committee as he does for the Michael Best & Freidrich LLP Litigation Practice Group, then there is no reason why the RNC can't come out on top once again.