Harmeet Dhillon wins support from group of Republican megadonors for RNC chairwoman
Cami Mondeaux
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Harmeet Dhillon’s bid to unseat Ronna McDaniel as chairwoman of the Republican National Committee got a boost from a group of megadonors.
The donors backing Dhillon warned the GOP is “on the verge of permanent irrelevance” if it fails to elect new leadership.
In a letter addressed to the RNC on Monday, the group of 20 megadonors endorsed Dhillon to replace McDaniel as the committee chairwoman, citing the GOP’s disappointing performance in the midterm elections as evidence the party needs leadership changes. The committee is scheduled to elect its next leader during its winter meeting later this month.
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“The Republican Party currently faces the most organized, radical, and weaponized Democrat Party the nation has ever seen,” the donors wrote. “Despite this clear and present threat to our freedom, the highest levels of the Republican National Committee appear to be more focused on blaming others for their lack of leadership and lining the pockets of cherry-picked consultants than on winning elections.”
“We are calling on members of the RNC to thank Ronna McDaniel for her service and to support the only RNC member seeking to succeed her, Harmeet Dhillon — a bold visionary with the energy and experience to retool the party for success in 2024 and beyond,” they continued.
McDaniel has also received backing from several of the party’s top donors, as well as the endorsement of RNC Financial Chairman Duke Buchan III and former Financial Chairmen Todd Ricketts, Ray Washburne, and Ron Weiser.
“Ronna is a proven fundraiser having raised staggering resources during her tenure; resources which campaigns at all levels across the country rely on to win,” Washburne wrote in a letter to RNC members in December. “She has built and grown a Republican infrastructure that will stand the test of time.”
McDaniel has faced a growing number of Republicans calling on her to resign, particularly after a lackluster midterm performance when the party failed to regain control of the Senate and achieved only a slim majority in the House. The midterm elections led several conservatives to question McDaniel’s leadership openly, with some outright challenging her for the top RNC position while others called for new leadership.
At least two Republicans are challenging McDaniel, including Dhillon, a lawyer and RNC committeewoman, and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. McDaniel initially faced a high-profile challenge from Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), who later bowed out but maintained that McDaniel should step down.
Spokespeople for McDaniel have remained confident the chairwoman will be reelected, pointing to a letter circulated by about 100 members of the RNC in November that showed they would back her run. The RNC is comprised of 168 members, meaning any candidate must get 85 votes to secure the top leadership position.
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Still, Lindell has suggested he has enough support within the committee to derail McDaniel’s bid, telling Insider he’s “locked in” enough votes to siphon away an outright majority from the chairwoman.
“It’ll be like, what you’ve just seen happening in our Congress here, you know. There’s gonna be multiple votes, and there’s a three-way race, and we all stay in until somebody gets to 85,” Lindell told the outlet.