"I am so blessed," Priebus said, beginning his speech by thanking God. "We can't wait to get to work here in [the] party."
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Priebus consistently led all rounds of voting, although he came in only one vote ahead of current chairman Michael Steele in the first round. After that, however, his narrowest lead was 15 points.
"We can defeat Barack Obama in 2012," Priebus said in his acceptance speech, adding that, with the election over, it was time for the committee to unite. "I am here to earn the trust and support of each and every one of you."
Priebus said that everyone recognizes the Democrats have taken America down the wrong path. He wants a solid business plan in place for the RNC.
Priebus, who has earned includes praise from conservative star Paul Ryan and new Sen. Ron Johnson (who won Russ Feingold's old seat in November), oversaw an election that, his nominee said, took Wisconsin from "black and blue" to red. Priebus also recently served as legal counsel to the RNC.
It took four rounds before any candidate withdrew. Steele was the first, followed by Wagner after round six. Steele threw his support behind former Bush administration official Maria Cino, but she wasn't able to capitalize on the endorsement.
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