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Gentry Collins, a former political director of the Republican National Committee who resigned in November after delivering a scathing condemnation of the party’s fund-raising practices, said Sunday that he was withdrawing his candidacy to succeed Michael Steele as chairman of the Republican Party.

Mr. Collins announced his decision on Sunday evening in an e-mail to members of the Republican National Committee. He did not offer an endorsement of any of the five remaining candidates, who are scheduled to appear at a debate on Monday afternoon in Washington.

“It is after much consideration and thought that I announce my withdrawal from the race for chairman of the R.N.C.,” Mr. Collins said in a statement. “I believe that there are several qualified candidates in the race for chairman, each of whom would do a fine job leading the committee through the 2012 election cycle.”

Mr. Collins, a respected Republican strategist who had worked alongside Mr. Steele for two years and often defended his stewardship of the committee, decided to run for the top Republican post himself after abruptly resigning in November. Mr. Collins positioned himself as an alternative to Mr. Steele, but several other candidates also emerged and drew more support from members of the Republican National Committee, who will elect a new leader at their winter meeting on Jan. 14.

The withdrawal of Mr. Collins, which was first reported Sunday evening by Politico, leaves five candidates in the race, including: Mr. Steele, who is seeking re-election; Reince Priebus, chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party; Ann Wagner, a longtime Missouri Republican official; Maria Cino, a veteran Republican operative who worked in the administration of George W. Bush; and Saul Anuzis, a Michigan Republican official.

While Mr. Collins did not endorse another candidate, he said he believed that Mr. Steele should not win re-election to a second term. The other four remaining candidates, he said, “would move the committee in a positive direction.”

“We have a huge task in front of us. We must retain the majority in the House, we must gain a majority in the Senate and most importantly we must defeat Barack Obama, his policies and his ideology in 2012,” Mr. Collins said in his statement. “I am confident that the members of the Republican National Committee will make the right decision.

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