RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel was successful in her bid for a fourth term in office, overcoming a challenge from GOP lawyer Harmeet Dhillon in the wake of Republicans' lacklustre performance in the midterms. Despite a contentious battle, McDaniel ultimately secured a comfortable victory and quashed the efforts of the MAGA-wing of the party to bring about an upheaval.
“We heard you, grassroots,” McDaniel said after her election in a nod to those backing Dhillon’s candidacy. “We know. We heard Harmeet. We heard Mike Lindell. But with us united and all of us going together, the Democrats are going to hear us in 2024 when we take back the White House and the Senate.”
McDaniel will lead the party through the next presidential election. Her election comes as the GOP finds itself locked in an internal battle, in part over the role of former President Donald Trump within the party and the legacy of his movement.
Trump loomed large over the proceedings Friday, though the contest was a rare dispute that did not hinge solely on electors’ enthusiasm – or lack thereof – for the former president, who in November announced his 2024 bid for the White House.
Both McDaniel and Dhillon have deep ties to Trump, something that has in particular been an issue for McDaniel as many Republicans openly reevaluate Trump’s role in the GOP heading into the 2024 race in the wake of the midterms.
Trump in 2016 tapped McDaniel to lead the RNC, a role that calls for organizing fundraising, coordinating the party’s message at a national level and arbitrating internal disputes, among other things. He has in general been loyal to her – something that has gone both ways. McDaniel defended Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol and more recently has avoided explicitly placing blame at his feet for Republicans’ underwhelming midterm performance.