AP sources: Republican chair to seek re-election
Michael Steele
Embattled Republican Party chairman Michael Steele announced Monday that he will seek a second term despite a rocky two years marked by allegations of financial mismanagement and frequent verbal gaffes.
 After weighing a decision for weeks as challengers lined up  Steele alerted the 168-member Republican National Committee during an evening conference call that he would run  according to participants listening. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because the call was private.
 Steele's troubled first term expires in January  and the committee must then vote on who should run the party's national operations during the 2012 presidential election cycle.
 A former Maryland lieutenant governor  Steele was chosen to run the party in January 2009. He became the first black national chairman in the Republican Party's history just shy of three months after the nation elected a Democrat as the first African-American president.
 Steele was considered an outsider because he wasn't part of the RNC's clubby environment. His brash style and unconventional ways irked establishment Republicans from the outset. Questions about his financial management of the RNC followed.
 Republican victories up and down the ballot in November didn't quiet Steele's critics. Complaints about Steele's stewardship of the party's national operations only mounted. And he has watched his once strong support within the RNC rank and file all but evaporate as Republican leaders on Capitol Hill and in states across the country signaled they desired new leadership.
 No less than a half dozen Republicans are weighing challenges to Steele or have launched candidacies. The two latest to formally announce bids are Maria Cino  a New York native who served in the Bush administration and planned the party's 2008 nominating convention  and Gentry Collins  who headed the RNC's political department under Steele.
 Others in the mix include: Saul Anuzis  a committeeman from Michigan who lost to Steele in the 2009 chairman's race; Reince Priebus  the Wisconsin Republican chairman  and Ann Wagner  a former Missouri state Republican chair and a former ambassador.
[TGT] announced Monday that [TGT] will seek a second term despite a rocky two years marked by allegations of financial mismanagement and frequent verbal gaffes.
 After weighing a decision for weeks as challengers lined up  [TGT] alerted the 168-member Republican National Committee during an evening conference call that [TGT] would run  according to participants listening. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because the call was private.
 [TGT]'s troubled first term expires in January  and the committee must then vote on who should run the party's national operations during the 2012 presidential election cycle.
 A former Maryland lieutenant governor  [TGT] was chosen to run the party in January 2009. [TGT] became the first black national chairman in the Republican Party's history just shy of three months after the nation elected a Democrat as the first African-American president.
 [TGT] was considered an outsider because [TGT] wasn't part of the RNC's clubby environment. [TGT] brash style and unconventional ways irked establishment Republicans from the outset. Questions about [TGT] financial management of the RNC followed.
 Republican victories up and down the ballot in November didn't quiet [TGT]'s critics. Complaints about [TGT]'s stewardship of the party's national operations only mounted. And [TGT] has watched [TGT] once strong support within the RNC rank and file all but evaporate as Republican leaders on Capitol Hill and in states across the country signaled they desired new leadership.
 No less than a half dozen Republicans are weighing challenges to [TGT] or have launched candidacies. The two latest to formally announce bids are Maria Cino  a New York native who served in the Bush administration and planned the party's 2008 nominating convention  and Gentry Collins  who headed the RNC's political department under [TGT].
 Others in the mix include: Saul Anuzis  a committeeman from Michigan who lost to [TGT] in the 2009 chairman's race; Reince Priebus  the Wisconsin Republican chairman  and Ann Wagner  a former Missouri state Republican chair and a former ambassador.