Republican activists are cheering the possibility that Mercedes Schlapp, a Cuban-American Trump supporter and Fox analyst will replace Reince Priebus as head of the Republican National Committee.
Party insiders said Friday that she is now near or at the top of the list of candidates being pushed by the White House and Trump advisor Stephen Bannon.
English is my second language. Ask @mschlapp. https://t.co/WVFuEAEn35
— Mercedes Schlapp (@mercedesschlapp) November 29, 2016
“She’s awesome,” said one activist of Schlapp, one of the Hill’s “50 Most Beautiful People” and the influential wife of Matt Schlapp, who heads the American Conservative Union which hosts the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC. The two have a political business together.
“Wow. That would be awesome,” said another activist who is also advising the Trump transition. “She is a super savvy Cuban woman from Miami. Great husband. Five daughters. Smart, tough, good speaker, big smile. Fluent in Espanol. Hell Yeah. Sign me up. And please not another 60-year-old white man,” added the insider.
Her ties to Florida and fluency in Spanish are just what many in the party want, especially as Gov. Rick Scott eyes a Senate challenge to Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.
In a recent tweet, Schlapp wrote, “English is my second language. Ask @mschlapp.”
She has strong ties to key Republicans, having worked in the administration of George W. Bush.
There had been discussion earlier about Trump advisors Kellyanne Conway and Dave Bossie moving to RNC, but that is now dead.
The party holds its chairman election in January.
Others in the running include Georgian Nick Ayres, Michigan Republican Party chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel and RNC official Matt Pinnell.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
