Texas GOP chairwoman joins Blackwell in RNC bid

The Hill:

Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell and Texas Republican Party Chairwoman Tina Benkiser have joined forces in the race to chair the Republican National Committee, uniting two candidates who were seeking votes from Christian conservative committee members.

Blackwell, who announced his run for the chairmanship in early December, will run as chairman with Benkiser running for co-chairwoman.

“This is clearly exciting news for our campaign,” Blackwell wrote in an e-mail to RNC members.

“Recognized as a national conservative leader with an amazing record of accomplishment, Ken Blackwell is a dedicated servant-leader,” Benkiser wrote in her own e-mail to committee members. “Whether it is leading the charge on issues or successfully running an effective organization, Ken is what our Party needs at this time. He will establish a clear distinction between the Republican Party and our opposition.”

Blackwell praised Benkiser as “one of the very best state party chairmen in the country” with “the values and principles that we need in party leadership.”

Together, according to a tally kept by The Hill, the two candidates control seven of the 25 Republican National Committee members who have publicly committed to a candidate. There are 168 voting members of the national committee.

The move is hardly a surprise, according to those following the race closely.

“Everyone knew that Tina was going to run for co-chair,” said a staffer for one candidate for the chairmanship.

Interested observers say the pair’s gamble could pay off big, or bust both candidates’ chances. By combining both candidates who appealed most to the hard-right segment of the party, the two will likely consolidate votes that otherwise would have been split between them.

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I have to say that I know more about Blackwell than the Republican Chairwoman from Texas. However, based on the party performance in the last election in Texas she is probably doing something right. It sounds like they are still 77 votes away from securing the position.