California GOP Chairman Ron Nehring tells The Daily Caller that he will not run for chairman of the Republican National Committee.
His name has been mentioned in various media reports as a possible candidate. The 168 members of the committee will vote for a chairman in January.
Current RNC chairman Michael Steele has not publicly said whether he’ll run.
Nehring said in an e-mail that he’s interested in serving as treasurer of the RNC instead. “I’ve been incredibly encouraged by the amount of support I’ve received from members to serve as the RNC’s next Treasurer. There’s a strong desire on the part of the members to bring stability and change to the RNC Treasurer’s office, so I look forward to serving the committee in that capacity in the next term.”
He also said he has no plans to endorse in the chairman’s race: “The last two years have shown it’s essential for the Chairman and Treasurer to be able to work together. As a result, I plan to remain neutral in the Chairman’s race to preserve my ability to work closely with whomever the committee chooses to elect to the leadership team.”
The long list of those who have announced their candidacies or have been mentioned as possible candidates includes: former Michigan GOP chairman Saul Anuzis; former Missouri committee member Ann Wagner; former Steele aide Gentry Collins; former Bush administration official Maria Cino; Wisconsin GOP chairman Reince Priebus; former RNC chairman Mike Duncan; former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman; Republican Governors Association executive director Nick Ayers and Connecticut GOP chairman Chris Healy.