Matt Pinnell, Mercedes Schlapp, and Ronna Romney are the leading candidates for Trump's endorsement, to run the RNC.
|
Politico is now reporting that a Mitt Romney relative is the likely next RNC Chairman. Ronna Romney McDaniel is from the prominent Republican family of George Romney. George was the Michigan governor and close ally of Nelson Rockefeller. Here's part of the Politico report...
McDaniel, the niece of 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney, is currently chair of the Michigan Republican Party. Donald Trump’s decision could be announced as soon as today, a transition official said, when he is scheduled to visit Grand Rapids in the course of his post-election “thank you” tour.
Several sources close to the decision-making process, however, said the final decision had not yet been made and it was possible that another top contender could be selected. Talks remain ongoing, with some discussion centering on who would be named co-chair. Two contenders for the co-chairmanship have also emerged: former George W. Bush administration official Mercedes Schlapp, a favorite of conservatives, and RNC official Matt Pinnell, who is more aligned with the establishment. |
The 168 members of the RNC’s executive committee will officially elect the party’s chair at their meeting in January, but the imprimatur of an incoming president is typically decisive -- as a number of committee members acknowledged on Thursday.
“I will support whomever the president-elect tells me to support,” said New Jersey committeeman Bill Palatucci, a longtime ally and confidant of Gov. Chris Christie.
“Normally, when the president takes control, our mission is changed. We become a political arm of the president,” said California committeeman Shawn Steel.
Trump’s choice of McDaniel would settle one of the first turf wars between the populist Steve Bannon and the establishment Reince Priebus, and its outcome is likely to be interpreted by GOP insiders as an indicator of which faction will have greater sway over the direction of the party in the Trump era.
“I will support whomever the president-elect tells me to support,” said New Jersey committeeman Bill Palatucci, a longtime ally and confidant of Gov. Chris Christie.
“Normally, when the president takes control, our mission is changed. We become a political arm of the president,” said California committeeman Shawn Steel.
Trump’s choice of McDaniel would settle one of the first turf wars between the populist Steve Bannon and the establishment Reince Priebus, and its outcome is likely to be interpreted by GOP insiders as an indicator of which faction will have greater sway over the direction of the party in the Trump era.
