Members of the Republican National Committee reelected Ronna McDaniel to a fourth term as RNC Chair on Friday.
McDaniel defeated California attorney Harmeet Dhillon and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell in a bitter race that followed a disappointing midterm turnout for Republicans who had been hoping for a “red wave” but ended up with a five-seat majority in the House and the minority in the Senate.
Lindell jumped into the race after claiming McDaniel had not done enough to combat voter fraud—claims that have not been substantiated. Meanwhile, Dhillon, a party member from California, chipped away at McDaniel’s support by posting committee members’ personal email accounts online and encouraging party activists to weigh in.
In a statement after her loss, Dhillon said the party “will be better for the tough conversations that were desperately needed about how to reform the RNC to win elections and earn the trust of our voters, activists, and donors.”
McDaniel is a Michigan GOP insider who is the granddaughter of the late moderate Republican Gov. George Romney, and niece of Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), the party’s 2012 Presidential candidate. She was chosen as RNC Chair in 2017 by then-President Trump.
McDaniel has promised to be an agent of change within the Republican Party as it looks ahead to what will likely be a wide-open primary for the 2024 Presidential nomination.
Trump, who did not make an endorsement in the RNC’s race, has already tossed his hat in the 2024 ring. Both McDaniel and Dhillon have said they will remain neutral in the 2024 Republican primaries.
