Rob Haney is the new chairman of the Maricopa County Republican Committee, after 861 votes were cast at the annual countywide meeting to redeem the hard-line conservative, who only months ago was ousted as chairman of Legislative District 11.

Haney beat out Jerry Brooks, former mayor of Chandler, who pulled in 733 votes. The two were temporarily at the center of the intraparty feud that has manifested itself in every important election among Arizona Republicans over the past few years.

This go around, the factions were called the Conservative Victory and TRUGOP slates, led by Brooks and Haney, respectively. Yet as was privately acknowledged by precinct committeemen on both sides of the rift, the opposing slates were more accurately referred to as the McCain and Palin supporters, political shorthand for moderate and conservative, or conservative and ultraconservative, depending on the version one hears.

Brooks lost to Haney by virtually the same margin that Sen. John McCain lost to Pres.-elect Barack Obama – 46 to 53 percent. Overall, however, the two sides were able to achieve the barely possible – they split the five seats exactly down the middle. Haney's slate mate Jeff Greenspan was elected 2nd vice chairman, while Conservative Victory claimed Diane Ortiz-Parsons at the 1st vice chairman slot and Danny Mazza as treasurer. At the position of secretary, however, there was a tie.

Sandy Doty of TRUGOP and Kim Owens of Conservative Victory received 795 votes apiece, and, after a temporary change of rules was introduced and passed, it was decided that if a hand recount still showed a tie, the winner would be decided by lot. This move was likely precipitated by the exodus of PCs that followed the voting itself, which nearly prevented a quorum from being reached when it came time to debate over resolutions.

Many, including Haney, saw the contest as prefiguring the state party convention, at which Lisa James, the favorite of the McCain moderates, is challenging incumbent and Haney ally Randy Pullen. Pullen was first elected in 2007.

Of Haney's victory, Pullen said, "I take it as a very positive result in regard to my own election." 

(Editor's Note: The earlier version of this story contained an error. Jeff Greenspan, not Mike Middleton, was Rob Haney's slate mate running for second vice chairman.)