Ronna McDaniel Reelected as RNC Chairwoman, Vows Last Term in Office
On Friday, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel was reelected to a fourth consecutive term, winning the support of two-thirds of the RNC members who gathered at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach resort for their winter meeting.[0] McDaniel, who was picked for the role by former President Donald Trump in 2016, faced a strong challenge from Harmeet Dhillon, a legal adviser to Trump’s 2020 campaign, and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.[1] On the first ballot, McDaniel secured 111 votes to Dhillon's 51 and Lindell's four.[2]
The election was conducted by secret ballot and the vote was largely seen as a referendum on the direction of the party, with McDaniel representing the status quo and Dhillon representing a potential shift in the party's approach.[3] Trump had not formally endorsed either candidate, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a likely rival to Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential nomination race, threw his support behind Dhillon.[4]
The RNC also unanimously approved a resolution opposing “all forms of antisemitism, antisemitic statements and any antisemitic elements that seek to infiltrate the Republican Party”.[4] By name, the resolution explicitly denounced Nick Fuentes, a White supremacist, as well as Kanye West, a rapper with well-known anti-Semitic opinions, both of whom had dinner with President Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in November.[3]
After several rounds of voting, South Carolina GOP Chairman Drew McKissick was declared the victor over Trump-endorsed candidate, North Carolina Republican Chairman Michael Whatley, who withdrew from the running for RNC co-chair.[3] On Friday, Joe Gruters, who was chosen by Trump to be RNC Treasurer and had supported McDaniel in her quest to serve a fourth term, was unsuccessful.[3]
McDaniel, in a Fox News exclusive, responded to her re-election, saying “this is my last term as chair. I'm saying it on Fox News. It's done.”[5] Her comments come as the Republican party looks ahead to the 2024 presidential election and attempts to find a way to bridge the divide between the party's more moderate and conservative elements.
0. “The GOP changes practically nothing after the disappointing midterms” Business Insider, 27 Jan. 2023, https://www.businessinsider.com/ronna-mcdaniel-republican-party-rnc-chair-trump-gop-midterms-2022-2023-1
1. “GOP to vote Friday on McDaniel, Dhillon, Lindell as new RNC chief” The Hill, 27 Jan. 2023, https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3831926-gop-to-vote-friday-on-mcdaniel-dhillon-lindell-as-new-rnc-chief/
2. “Ronna McDaniel Re-Elected RNC Chair After Race of Accusations” The Daily Beast, 27 Jan. 2023, https://www.thedailybeast.com/ronna-mcdaniel-re-elected-rnc-chair-after-race-of-accusations-with-harmeet-dhillon-mike-lindell
3. “RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel elected to fourth consecutive term” WTOP, 27 Jan. 2023, https://wtop.com/government/2023/01/rnc-chairwoman-ronna-mcdaniel-elected-to-fourth-consecutive-term/
4. “Ronna McDaniel Wins RNC Leadership Post Following Divisive Campaign” The Wall Street Journal, 27 Jan. 2023, https://www.wsj.com/articles/republicans-to-pick-party-leader-as-some-call-for-ousting-ronna-mcdaniel-11674784050
5. “Harmeet Dhillon says Republicans ignore grassroots base at their ‘peril'” Yahoo! Voices, 28 Jan. 2023, https://www.yahoo.com/now/harmeet-dhillon-says-republicans-ignore-012720783.html