Former ambassador and Republican official Ann Wagner announced Monday she will mount a bid to chair the Republican National Committee, becoming the second candidate to enter the race to replace incumbent chairman Michael Steele.
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Here is Wagner's candidacy announcement, in which she takes a few thinly veiled shots at Steele's perceived weaknesses, including fundraising:
Wagner's resume is fairly extensive: She served as the US Ambassador to Luxembourg during the Bush administration, chaired Roy Blunt's successful 2010 Senate campaign in Missouri -- where she's also been state GOP chairman -- and is a former two-term co-chair of the RNC.
Hotline runs through the expanding list of names associated with this race:
Wagner becomes the second candidate to declare her intention to run, after Michigan RNC member Saul Anuzis, who announced earlier this month. Both candidates are expected to be joined by others considering the race. Likely candidates include Wisconsin Republican Party chair Reince Priebus, former RNC political director Gentry Collins, Connecticut GOP chairman Chris Healy and former RNC chairman Mike Duncan.
The Republican National Committee will make its selection in mid-January. Steele has yet to confirm whether he'll seek a second term.
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