Sen. Mike Lee has ended brief campaign to become chair of the Republican Policy Committee,
The Hill reports.
Lee, a first-term Utah Republican, said he will no longer challenge the current chair, Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, for the post — the fourth highest-ranking position in the GOP.
The Hill says that when Lee revealed his decision to run for Barasso's chair, it "stirred up a storm," and Republican leadership "quickly circled its wagons to beat back the challenge."
Lee argued that Barasso and two other GOP leaders — Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune and Vice Chairman Roy Blunt — needed to go because of term limits.
But GOP brass decided all three should be allowed to serve their terms until the end of 2018.
Lee has been criticized by fellow GOP lawmakers of being sympathetic to outside conservative groups, according to The Hill.
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