Jan. 27 is the GOP date with destiny, as the Republican National Committee elects a new party chair. The Republican Party’s leadership gathers in Dana Point, Calif. from Jan. 25-27 for its quarterly meeting.
One of the big controversies this week will be whether to continue under the leadership of RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel, who took over the helm of the party in 2017. Many activists are unhappy with the party’s results under her leadership.
Two challengers — My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, who is closely aligned with former President Donald Trump, and California National Committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon — have put their names on the ballot, which will be decided by secret ballot among the voting members. For Alaska, the GOP Chair Ann Brown, and national committee officers Cynthia Henry and Craig Campbell will have votes, along with 165 other voting members.
McDaniel was last reelected in 2021, even though President Donald Trump lost his reelection bid while she chaired the party the prior year.
McDaniel visited Alaska in 2022 to speak at the Republican Party’s meeting in Fairbanks. She joined the Must Read Alaska Show during her visit.
Now, a significant movement is afoot to replace McDaniel, who is running for her fourth term. Seventy-three percent of Republican voters surveyed by the Trafalgar Group in December said the party should elect new leadership. Just 6% said McDaniel should be reelected, and 21% were not sure.
The poll, conducted for the Convention of States Action, received responses from 1,072 Republicans; 86% of the respondents preferred Dhillon to lead the RNC.
The poll showed that 63 percent of voters think the Republican Party and its congressional leadership were not effective at getting Republicans elected in 2022; 36 percent said the party was effective.
The results of the poll are at this link.
Dana Point, on the Southern California coast halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, is a Republican stronghold and is also known for great golf, surfing, and whale watching. The voters there have voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential and gubernatorial election.
