Ronna McDaniel Re-Elected as RNC Chairwoman in Referendum on Party’s Direction

At the Republican National Committee’s annual winter meeting on Friday, Ronna McDaniel was re-elected to a fourth term as chairwoman. McDaniel easily secured a majority of the 168 votes needed to win, with 111 votes compared to 51 for her challenger, Harmeet Dhillon. Four votes were cast for MyPillow founder Mike Lindell and one for former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., who was not a candidate.

McDaniel joins Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in staving off challenges to their leadership following Republicans’ disappointing performance in the November midterm elections. Dhillon had argued the party needed to make changes in order to be successful in the future, but McDaniel’s victory shows that the RNC is content with the status quo.

McDaniel has been chairwoman since 2017 and has been credited with helping to raise record amounts of money for the party. She has also been a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump and his policies. In her victory speech, McDaniel said she was “humbled and honored” to be re-elected and thanked the RNC members for their support.

The RNC’s winter meeting was the first major gathering of the party since the November elections, and the vote for chairwoman was seen as a referendum on the party’s direction. McDaniel’s victory shows that the RNC is committed to continuing its current course, despite the losses in the midterms.