Following a unanimous vote, the Republican Party of Arizona’s (AZGOP) Executive Committee passed a resolution calling for Ronna McDaniel to resign as the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee (RNC).
“We challenge every state committee to meet and tell their RNC Members how they expect them to vote in January at the RNC reorganizational meeting,” according to a statement from the AZGOP.
Tonight, the Executive Committee of the @AZGOP unanimously passed a resolution calling for @GOPChairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel’s resignation. pic.twitter.com/N97EiYRzAD
— Republican Party of Arizona (@AZGOP) December 9, 2022
The Arizona Sun Times reached out to the AZGOP for additional information but did not hear back before publishing.
According to the resolution, elected Republican officials in the RNC and other committees are responsible for “winning and supporting ALL of our Republican candidates in General elections by all means possible.” However, following apparent losses for Republicans in Arizona and across the nation, the AZGOP stated that leaders like Ronna McDaniel did not “effectively execute” their responsibility.
The AZGOP stated it is committed to pushing Arizona back into the Republican column, especially when electing a president in two years. Because of this commitment and the need to elect someone who can contrast the Biden administration’s track record, the AZGOP officially called for McDaniel to resign from her position. While the committee did thank her for six years of service, it also acknowledged that the RNC needs “new and bold” leadership moving into 2023.
Additionally, the AZGOP stated that McDaniel had “publicly told members of the RNC that she would not seek another term;” however, Politico reported that since making that comment, McDaniel has ultimately decided to run again for another two-year term.
Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-NY-01) had mulled over running for RNC chair but ultimately decided against it, according to Fox News. However, he stated that just because he is no longer running, that does not mean McDaniel should remain in charge and that “fresh blood” is needed going forward.
However, despite the call for McDaniel to step down, her victory appears in the bag. NBC News reported that on November 8th, Richard Porter, an RNC member from Illinois and ally of McDaniel, spoke with her to make sure she was planning to run again. McDaniel responded by saying if members wanted her, she would stay. Porter and a group of McDaniel loyalists then launched a member-to-member whip operation to gather support. In the following days, the team filled an endorsement letter with commitments to re-elect McDaniel from 101 of the RNC’s 168 members. Should McDaniel be re-elected, she will be the second longest-serving chair since the organization’s first, Edwin Morgan, who served from 1856-1864 and 1872-1876.
Yet, some remain unhappy with McDaniel’s performance. In a blistering commentary from author George Neumayr, he called her a hack who does not care about supporting the Republican Party platform. He pointed to McDaniel’s celebration for Pride Month and stated she betrayed the religious side of the party for not opposing the LGBTQ agenda.
Moreover, the AZGOP’s calls for McDaniel’s removal mirror calls made against its chairwoman, Dr. Kelli Ward, to resign. As reported by The Sun Times, failed Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate, Karrin Taylor Robson, called for Ward to step down after the party suffered major losses across multiple elections in the state. It appears that Ward will not be seeking re-election in the coming cycle.
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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Ronna McDaniel” by Ronna McDaniel.
