Ronna McDaniel fended off the insurgent campaign of Harmeet Dhillon to win a fourth term as chairwoman of the Republican National Committee on Friday in an election that will shape the direction of the party heading into the 2024 presidential election.
McDaniel, who was tapped for the position by Donald Trump in 2016, had the edge heading into the race against Dhillon, the chairwoman of the California RNC, who cast the contest as a battle for the soul of the Republican Party and a referendum on the former president.
McDaniel won 111 of the 167 ballots to Dhillon’s 51. MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell placed third with four votes, and former New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin, who dropped out earlier in the race, received one.
RONNA MCDANIEL DOUBLED HER SALARY AS RNC CHAIRWOMAN, DESPITE SERIES OF LOSSES
Critics slammed McDaniel after the GOP lost the House in 2018, the White House and Senate in 2020, and underperformed in the 2022 midterm elections. They argued new leadership was needed, but the chairwoman has defended her three terms by insisting aspects of the elections were outside her control.
The RNC doesn’t “pick the candidates,” she insisted. “The voters do. We don’t make the messaging. The campaigns do. But we are the turnout. And we won in every battleground state.”
The race took on a “Never Trump” dimension this cycle, with Tennessee Committeeman Oscar Brock insisting that in order for the RNC to move on from Trump, it must also move on from McDaniel.
Dhillon supporters took McDaniel to task for having hired current and former Trump advisers to work for the party and accused the RNC of aiding in Trump’s efforts to undermine the 2020 election. She was also criticized for spending RNC money at Trump-owned properties, covering his legal fees during the Russia investigation, hosting his “Fake News Awards,” and calling out his detractors within the party.
On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) seemed to echo the sentiment during an interview with conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
“I think we need a change. I think we need to get some new blood in the RNC,” DeSantis, who is believed to be gearing up for a possible 2024 presidential run, said. “I like what Harmeet Dhillon has said about getting the RNC out of D.C. We need some fresh thinking.”
Despite the detractors, McDaniel came into the RNC’s winter meeting at Dana Point, California, with public endorsements from two-thirds of the RNC members who voted in Friday’s election.
Dhillon also came in with dozens of endorsements, though not enough to secure the chair.
As chairwoman, McDaniel will be the party’s chief executive and work with state parties to help elect Republicans across the country. She will also preside over two annual RNC member meetings and is responsible for raising money.
Previously, Romney was chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party from 2015 to 2017. She served as a delegate for Trump during the 2016 Republican National Convention. She is also the granddaughter of former Michigan Gov. George W. Romney and niece of Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT).
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Friday’s election took place during the RNC’s open session. It’s the only part of the three-day meeting held in Dana Point that is open to guests and the media.
