Top Republican Resigns

Ronna McDaniel, the chair of the RNC, is set to resign following Super Tuesday. McDaniel, Mitt Romney’s niece, took over the RNC in 2017 when Trump assumed the Presidency. She was nominated by Donald Trump, as a compromise candidate palatable to both his wing of the party and the old Establishment.

Replacing her and her team will be Trump allies such as Michael Whatley, Lara Trump, and Chris LaCivita. They have been key to building Trump’s political machine since the end of his presidency. Combining Trump’s message with improved campaigning techniques, LaCivita in particular has been key in securing states for Trump in the primaries. The Guardian says:

The chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) plans to stand down beginning next week, paving the way for a slate of Donald Trump loyalists to lead the party in the run-up to the November general elections.

Ronna McDaniel announced her decision to step down just days after the former president endorsed the North Carolina Republican party chair, Michael Whatley, to lead the RNC; his daughter-in-law Lara Trump to be its co-chair; and his close campaign aide Chris LaCivita as the party’s chief operating officer.

Since her assumption of power, McDaniel has presided over a series of electoral losses. Due to election funding laws, the RNC is unable to directly control candidate selection, which has led to inefficient political spending. To her credit, McDaniel has been pushing hard on banking early votes and centralizing voter and donor files to enable state parties. Fox News says:

”It has been the honor and privilege of my life to serve the Republican National Committee for seven years as Chairwoman to elect Republicans and grow our Party,” McDaniel said in a statement. “I have decided to step aside at our Spring Training on March 8 in Houston to allow our nominee to select a Chair of their choosing. The RNC has historically undergone change once we have a nominee and it has always been my intention to honor that tradition.”

“I remain committed to winning back the White House and electing Republicans up and down the ballot in November,” she added, before thanking her husband, family and RNC staff.

By combining McDaniel’s infrastructure building with Trump’s team campaign experience, the Republican Party could be well positioned to sweep the November elections. Still, they have much work to be done, including fending off lawsuits and charges against Donald Trump.

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