McDaniel announces RNC chair reelection bid
McDaniel has the backing of Trump, McConnell, McCarthy and most committee members
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Ronna McDaniel is announcing her reelection bid to keep steering the national party.
In a letter sent Wednesday to RNC committee members and obtained by Fox News, McDaniel highlighted the backing she has not only from President Trump and the top two Republicans in Congress, but also the vast majority of national party committee members.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“While I am proud to have the support of President Trump, Senate Majority Leader McConnell, and House Minority Leader McCarthy in my bid for re-election, it is the endorsement of the 168 members of this committee that matters most, and I am incredibly humbled to have the endorsements of over 120 members at this time,” she wrote.
Chair of the Republican National Committee Ronna McDaniel stands on stage in an empty Mellon Auditorium while addressing the Republican National Convention at the Mellon Auditorium on August 24, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Trump backed McDaniel, the niece of Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, for RNC chair in 2017 after the then-Michigan GOP chair helped deliver the key battleground state for Trump in the 2016 election. As chair, McDaniel has been a top Trump ally during his administration, reelection campaign and current efforts to reverse the presidential election results.
In her letter, McDaniel touted the party’s strong showing last month in the House and Senate elections, governorships and state legislative contests.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“I am immensely proud of the victories we saw on Election Day. From holding the Senate, to flipping more than a dozen House seats, to building majorities in State Legislatures and Governorships across the country, we saw huge down ballot successes thanks to the work and effort from each of your teams," she wrote. "We continue to fight for President Trump and work to bring transparency to the election process with recounts and legal challenges ongoing across the country."
McDaniel also spotlighted the “unprecedented, multi-year investments in field, digital, and data,” which she said “are a strong foundation for us to build on” and showcased the record $1.3 billion raised during her tenure as chair.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The chair said her top priority in a third term would be strengthening the state Republican parties. But she also pledged “to establish the Committee on Election Integrity to continue battling the Democrats’ unprecedented attempts to change election laws. This committee will work with state parties to fight for free and fair elections across the country.”
McDaniel also said she plans “to create the Committee on Debates to explore ways to transition from the biased Commission on Presidential Debates and toward a fair system that will benefit the nominee of both parties and the American people.”
At this point, McDaniel is the only candidate for chair. The RNC’s 168 members are scheduled to hold the chair election Jan. 6-8, when they convene for their winter meeting. The meeting will take place just two weeks before Trump leaves the White House and President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Trump’s endorsement of McDaniel is a clear sign that he intends to play a key role in GOP politics even after leaving the White House.