“I sensed it was catching on, the idea that the next chairman should be a member of the committee, not a former member,” said Curly Haugland, a North Dakota rancher and committee member…

Several members who initially tagged Mr. Duncan or Mr. Steele as the front-runner changed their minds after all six candidates presented their respective cases and fielded questions on Wednesday, the end of an unprecedented three days of candidate self-advertisement…

While it is widely agreed that Mr. Steele would make the most telegenic party spokesman for a time that the party will not have the bully pulpit of the White House, some members said they were looking for someone with skills that go well beyond the ability to come across well on television.