CHARLOTTE—By quietly wooing a handful of Ron Paul supporters and capitalizing on a rift in the libertarian ranks, the Republican National Committee’s chairman squashed a long-shot challenge for his job.
Reince Priebus’s reelection to another two-year term was guaranteed when a 5 p.m. deadline passed Thursday. His sole challenger, Maine committeeman Mark Willis, did not have the support required from three state delegations to get on the ballot for a formal vote on Friday.
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Priebus flew to Las Vegas Monday for an evening sit-down with Nevada’s Republican state chairman and national committeeman. After these Paul supporters won control at a state convention last year, the RNC and Mitt Romney’s campaign largely bypassed them by funneling funds through a shadow party. Both sides express a desire to mend fences after the GOP got creamed in the Silver State in November.
“There were certainly some promises exchanged,” Nevada committeeman James Smack said of the meeting. “We’re not talking about money. We’re talking about promises, though, that he’s going to work on getting some doors open for us that have been closed by whatever means – whether that be through some of the casino owners or what have you.”
