After three straight election cycles of disappointing GOP returns, Gov. Ron DeSantis added his name to those calling for a change in leadership at the Republican National Committee (RNC) and moving the party headquarters from Washington.
In an interview with Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk that aired Thursday, DeSantis — a front-runner for the Republican nomination for President in 2024 — said his party needs “to get some new blood in the RNC.”
He went on to praise former Donald Trump adviser Harmeet Dhillon, who is challenging incumbent RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel.
“We’ve had three substandard election cycles in a row — ’18, ’20 and ’22 — and I would say of all three of those, ’22 was probably the worst given the political environment of a very unpopular President in (Joe) Biden. Huge majorities of the people think the country is going in the wrong direction. That is an environment that is tailor-made to make big gains in the House, in the Senate, and in the Statehouses all across the country, and yet that didn’t happen. And in fact, we even lost ground in the U.S. Senate,” he said.
“I think we need a change, and I think we need to get some new blood in the RNC. I like what Harmeet Dhillon has said about getting the RNC out of D.C. Why would you want to have your headquarters in the most Democrat city in America?”
He added, “We need some fresh thinking. And here’s the thing — just practically speaking, you need grassroots Republicans to power this organization with volunteering and donations. I think it’s going to be very difficult to energize people to want to give money, to want to volunteer their time with the RNC, if they don’t see a change in direction.”
The election for RNC Chair takes place Friday at the group’s winter conference in Dana Point, California. Only the 168 members of the RNC are eligible to vote. Of those members, 101 signed a letter backing McDaniel for a fourth consecutive term more than a week after a lackluster Midterm performance by Republicans nationwide — except in Florida.
Other prominent Republicans have since thrown their support behind McDaniel, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Wisconsin GOP Chair Brian Schimming and Vermont GOP Chair Paul Dame.
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, DeSantis’ predecessor in the Governor’s Mansion, tweeted his support of McDaniel Thursday, saying she “has played a major role in helping turn Florida red and fighting for conservative values across the state.”
.@GOPChairwoman has played a major role in helping turn Florida red and fighting for conservative values across the country.
Thank you Ronna for all you’ve done to help elect strong Republicans in the Sunshine state!
— Rick Scott (@ScottforFlorida) January 26, 2023
But Dhillon has also garnered some noteworthy endorsements, including nods from Kirk, state GOP Chairs from Arizona, Massachusetts and Washington, and major party donors like Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus and Uline founder Richard Uihlein.
Several state parties issued votes of “no confidence” against McDaniel, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. A similar motion failed in Florida when too few members attended a meeting.
Florida Republican Executive Committee Chair Joe Gruters called the meeting after receiving a petition with 30 signatures from REC members, but only 71 of 256 members showed up, 58 fewer than is needed for quorum.
For his part, Gruters said he was backing McDaniel.
“Party politics is a team sport,” he said. “Every time I asked Ronna for anything at the RNC, she always delivered, and she will continue to do well when she wins the race next week.”
Also running for RNC Chair is Mike Lindell, the founder of MyPillow, an outspoken Trump supporter and noted election denier.
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