Barbour Nephew Aiding Effort to Replace Steele

A Barbour from Mississippi has joined the battle to oust Michael Steele from the helm of the Republican Party, and it’s not the one most political observers follow, The New York Times reports. Henry Barbour, nephew of Gov. Haley Barbour, is stepping out from his accustomed backstage role as a lobbyist and political fundraiser to campaign publicly for one of Steele’s challengers.

Barbour, 46, favors Wisconsin GOP Chairman Reince Priebus. Barbour said he has no interest in the job for himself and is not acting at the behest of his famous uncle.

“There’s only one Haley,” he said. “And I’m not trying to be Haley. I’m happy doing my own thing.”

But he acknowledges that being the governor’s nephew hasn’t hurt his lobbying business.