On Friday, the Republican National Committee (RNC) held its winter meetings in Dana Point, California, where they elected Ronna McDaniel to lead the party through the next presidential and congressional elections.
McDaniel (49), who is the niece of GOP Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, had been challenged by Trump lawyer Harmeet Dhillon and Trump ally, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.
Each state cast votes in alphabetical order, by secret ballot. To win, a candidate needed at least 85 votes. The final tally announced McDaniel as the winner with 111 votes, Dhillon receiving 51, and Lindell 4.
The RNC “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,” said Dhillon in a statement after the loss.
This marks McDaniel’s fourth term as head of the RNC, having previously taken on the role in 2017.
“With all of us united, the Democrats are going to hear from us in 2024,” McDaniel said from the podium after the results of the secret ballot were announced.
She added in a statement after the vote: “The work to make Joe Biden a one-term president is already underway: it is time for our party to unite and re-dedicate ourselves to electing Republicans up and down the ballot. I look forward to working alongside conservative leaders, including Harmeet and Mike, from across our party to deliver on our promises to the American people.”
