With his bid for re-election to the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee finally official, Inez native Mike Duncan campaigned hard "through the evening" yesterday contacting voting members of the RNC, according to a spokesperson.

Duncan kicked off his campaign for a second-term at the RNC helm yesterday with the launch of a website and an e-mail to each of the 168 voting members of the national Committee.

To win re-election at the Committee's Winter Meeting on Jan. 28, 85 of those votes must break his way.

Chris Taylor, a spokesperson for Duncan, said the incumbent chair contacted at least 12 members throughout the day yesterday and he planned to work the phones up until the Winter Meeting in Washington.

"His Christmas vacation won't be much of a Christmas vacation," said Taylor.

Duncan faces an array of announced competition, including former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, South Carolina GOP Chair Katon Dawson, Michigan Party Chair Saul Anuzis, former Tennessee Party Chair and Mike Huckabee's Presidential campaign manager, Chip Saltsman, and former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell.

Taylor noted that anyone can announce for the RNC chair position, but official nominating procedures must be followed by each. That entails getting the support of two voting RNC members from three different states. That support must be documented on a letter sent to the RNC.

Thus far, no full letters of nomination had arrived at the RNC, according to Taylor.

Those who complete that process will be eligible for the January vote. The voting process, however, requires one candidate to receive 50 percent of the votes plus one additional vote - equaling 85 votes.

Under those requirements, some past elections for RNC Chair have gone to eight ballots.

The voting population for the Chair position includes the party chair, committeeman, and committeewoman from each state, the District of Columbia, and the territories of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Duncan may also court voters arriving in D.C. over the coming weeks, added Taylor.