In a survey of 400 typical Republican primary voters from across the country, 47 percent say they do not want Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele to lead the party for a second term, according to Public Policy Polling. Only 23 percent want him to keep the job, with 30 percent of those polled holding no opinion.

Steele is angling to maintain his position as chairman ahead of the party’s vote in January. A number of Republicans have already announced that they plan on challenging Steele, including former Michigan GOP Chair Saul Anuzis and Gentry Collins, the former political director for the RNC under Steele who resigned with a scathing letter attacking the chairman.

While the next GOP chairman will be decided by the select group of RNC members rather than regular voters, PPP’s numbers foretell problems with the Republican base if Steele maintains his job title. When the polling firm last looked at Steele’s support from Republican voters, only 28 percent wanted Steele to lose his position atop the party, with 55 percent holding no opinion. So despite overseeing one of the most successful election cycles in history for the Republican Party, many Republican voters formed an opinion of Steele after the summer and settled into a negative view by the middle of November.

RNC members have increasingly picked up on this opposition within the GOP base, with a growing chorus saying they will not vote for Steele to stay on as chairman next year.

The PPP survey was conducted Nov. 19-21.