RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel Faces Mounting Criticism
These are tough days for Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. Loud criticism continues to mount after yet another election cycle showed GOP candidates failing to gain traction ahead of next year’s pivotal presidential election.
Barbs from political opponents are expected, but this pressure is coming from the rank-and-file.
In November, former Republican Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee blasted party leadership for the absence of a “cohesive message.” The father of current Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the party raises money,” but it’s not “that much” and it lacks a theme.
And in the third GOP debate, candidate Vivek Ramaswamy challenged her record while launching a petition for her removal.
McDaniel faced two challengers for her chair in January but held on to the RNC reins. This came despite opposition from state delegations in Alabama, Texas, Nebraska and Washington.
RNC's Ronna McDaniel faces criticism amid another campaign cycle of losses for the GOP https://t.co/OK9UOhsFOE pic.twitter.com/EuE589FFHw
— The Hill (@thehill) December 7, 2023
Major concerns include losing ground to Democrats in turning out voters for the last three election cycles. The left goes all-out for ballot harvesting and other strategies to bring the masses into the voting process, something many Republicans fear the party is failing to do.
After retaining power, McDaniel called for unity within the ranks. “We need all of us. We need you grassroots. We know…But with us united and all of us going together, the Democrats are going to hear us in 2024 when we take back the White House and the Senate.”
Last month, Ramaswamy took a direct shot at McDaniel. “We have to have accountability in our party. For that matter, Ronna, if you want to come on stage tonight and look the GOP voters in the eye and tell them you resign, I will turn over, yield my time to you.”
She struck back, suggesting that the candidate was merely attempting to grab a headline due to low poll numbers.
But Ramaswamy’s voice joined a chorus of others dismayed by a string of national losses. Criticism almost a year after her reelection continues to mount, particularly with November’s defeats in Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia.
There are recent reports, particularly a November article in the Washington Post, suggesting the Republican Party is being out-fundraised by its Democratic rivals. There are also rumors that some of former President Donald Trump’s allies are urging him to end his support for the RNC chair.