The chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party has launched his bid to replace Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel after she steps down from the top position next month.
Michael Whatley announced his candidacy to replace McDaniel in a message sent to RNC members on Monday, according to a copy of the email that was obtained by the Washington Examiner. His bid comes after former President Donald Trump endorsed Whatley for the position earlier this month, which the North Carolina Republican touted in his candidacy announcement.
“I believe that my experience driving turnout and protecting election integrity in North Carolina, as well as my time as RNC General Counsel, have prepared me well for this role,” he wrote in the email. “I have been truly honored to receive President Trump’s endorsement for this position and I hope to earn your vote as we undertake the crucial work of winning up and down the ballot in 2024.”
As part of his pitch, Whatley vowed to focus on two priorities if elected to the chairmanship: increasing voter turnout and boosting RNC efforts to “protect the ballot.”
Those priorities come as the RNC has allocated millions of dollars to go toward its Election Integrity Department, which plans to implement an aggressive litigation strategy that employs attorneys and poll watchers to avoid voter fraud in the 2024 election.
“We need to be laser-focused on registering new voters, pushing voters to the polls, and taking advantage of every opportunity to run up our margin in key states across the country,” he wrote. “Simultaneously, we will work around the clock to file aggressive litigation where needed, recruit and train tens of thousands of poll watchers and poll workers and hold Democrat officials accountable in court when they try to subvert election integrity.”
Whatley also expressed an “important opportunity” ahead of the RNC: reelecting Trump to the White House.
“America is depending on us to send President Trump back to the White House, expand our majority in the House of Representatives and win control of the Senate,” he wrote. “If I am elected Chair, I will work tirelessly beside you, my fellow RNC members, the President’s campaign, and voters across the country to win in November and fix the damage that Joe Biden has inflicted on our country.”
His statement comes even as the RNC has been wary of endorsing Trump before the GOP primary election is over despite internal efforts to declare him the presumptive nominee.
In fact, one RNC member even went so far as to circulate a proposed resolution over the weekend that would halt the committee from coordinating with the former president’s campaign until he wins the 1,215 delegates needed to secure the nomination. Trump’s campaign railed against that proposal, arguing the two bodies should coordinate sooner rather than later to boost his reelection efforts.
That proposal would also slow Trump’s efforts to instate Chris LaCivita as the RNC’s chief operating officer, which would further solidify support for the former president among the national party. Trump has also endorsed his daughter-in-law Lara Trump to be elected as co-chairwoman of the committee.
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Whatley’s announcement comes hours after McDaniel announced she would be stepping down from her prominent position, noting she would allow the party’s presidential nominee to choose her successor. Her early resignation comes after McDaniel was reelected party chairwoman in 2023. However, McDaniel faced widespread scrutiny after Republicans had a worse-than-expected performance in the 2022 midterm elections, resulting in several GOP lawmakers calling on her to resign.
McDaniel will resign effective March 8.
