Natalia Chi
Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis On the eve of the election, it may have made the race for the new Republican National Committee chair more competitive.
Ronna McDanielSeeking her fourth term as chair, more than 100 members have declared their support for her, and her bid for re-election appeared frozen. It was before DeSantis entered the race in an interview with ‘The Charlie Kirk Show’.
“We’ve had three consecutive subpar election cycles in 2018, 2020 and 2022, and I think 2022 was the worst… I think change is needed,” DeSantis said. “I think we need some new blood in the RNC. I like what Harmeet Dhillon said.”
The Dhillon team listed DeSantis as one of their endorsements on her website, but later took it down. That’s what Mc Daniel’s supporters quickly pointed out to her CBS.
Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group via Getty Images
Dillon herself said it was “not an endorsement,” but her supporters at the RNC’s winter meetings have advertised it as such. said. DeSantis’ remarks disrupted the election, but McDaniel remains the frontrunner to win Friday’s election.
But Dhillon told CBS News that he was delighted to get the vote of confidence from the popular Florida governor.
“I’m glad that Governor DeSantis’ party leader has recognized the problem,” she told CBS News after his remarks. “Recognizing the problem is the first step to solving it. So I want to work with leaders across the party spectrum.”
She said DeSantis’ comments and the recent endorsement of New York’s Young Republicans gave her candidacy “a lot of momentum.”
McDaniel needs to be 85, and will likely be. One Dillon supporter said it was still a “difficult climb” for the California challenger.
Dhillon argues that the party needs to make changes to win in 2024, and DeSantis echoes that sentiment. “If we don’t make these changes, we’re saying we can’t win,” Dillon said.
The Republican National Committee will meet this week in Dana Point, Calif., to elect a new chairman to lead the party’s infrastructure into the 2024 election cycle following the party’s disappointing results in the midterm elections. Republicans won a majority in the House, but were unable to overthrow the Senate.
Former President Donald Trump’s lawyer and Trump ally Dillon and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell are vying to take McDaniel’s seat.
Mr Trump said he would “let them fight”.
Three candidates spoke on the forum Thursday night and were asked questions by 168 members.
According to RNC officials who were in the room, McDaniel spoke the longest, and according to McDaniel’s supporters who were in the room, she was the only one to receive a standing ovation following her statement.
