Who Could Replace Ronna McDaniel? Republican Leadership Candidates

Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel is considering stepping down after weeks of criticism, according to multiple reports.

The New York Times first cited anonymous sources who said the Republican told former president and GOP frontrunner Donald Trump she would step down after the South Carolina primary later this month. CNN and CBS News were among other publications who reported the news but McDaniel herself has not confirmed it.

"Nothing has changed. This will be decided after South Carolina," RNC spokesperson Keith Schipper told Newsweek.

McDaniel, the niece of Republican Senator Mitt Romney, has served as the RNC chairwoman since 2017, when she was chosen by Trump to lead the party after she served as chair of the Michigan Republican Party.

But in recent months, she has been criticized for funding issues within the GOP governing body, as well as for the Republicans losing multiple elections since 2020, leading to calls for her to resign from her role.

Since reports emerged that McDaniel may resign, speculation has turned to who may replace her.

Newsweek has, below, compiled the potential contenders.

Michael Whatley

According to anonymous sources quoted by Politico, when Trump and McDaniel met to discuss her resignation, the former president mentioned North Carolina Republican committee member Michael Whatley as a potential replacement. CNN and The New York Times also reported that Whatley, who serves as general counsel of the RNC, had Trump's support.

In 2023, he had endorsed Whatley as co-chairman, before he withdrew.

Christopher Phelps, a historian at the Department of American and Canadian Studies at the University of Nottingham in the U.K., told Newsweek that Trump lawyer Harmeet Dhillon ruling herself out of the race would increase Whatley's chances of getting the role.

"This might increase the odds of Michael Whatley, chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party and a lawyer for the RNC, who has been discussed as a Trump-approved competitor," he said.

Newsweek contacted representatives for Whatley by email to comment on this story.

Harmeet Dhillon

In 2023, former vice chairwoman of the California Republican Party, and a national committeewoman of the Republican National Committee for California, Dhillon stood against McDaniel when she was last re-elected to the role, but failed in her bid, having received just 51 ballots from committee members.

On Tuesday, Dhillon announced she is "not seeking" to replace McDaniel, before The New York Times report broke.

The Trump lawyer wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "Each version of RNC Game of Thrones I hear is worse than the last one.

"To be clear, I'm not seeking the chair position. We had an election, I lost, shook the victor's hand, and offered my support. But there are plenty of folks gunning for it.

"Happy where I am. I love the law!"

Mike Lindell

Lindell, the MyPillow CEO and Trump ally, ran to be the RNC chair in 2023 but received four votes.

In November, he indicated he was still "100 percent" keen on the role in an interview with Trump's former chief strategist, Steve Bannon.

But speaking to Newsweek, the Trump ally confirmed he would not run for the role again.

He said: "I am not running as I have to finish my efforts to get this country to paper ballots hand counted! The RNC should pick anyone that the election platforms are their main focus! Julianne Murray (chairwoman of Delaware) would be the best pick for the RNC chair."

Kevin McCarthy

According to sources speaking to The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1), a social media account with over 47,000 followers, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy could replace McDaniel. McCarthy was lauded for his fundraising abilities when he was House speaker.

Florida GOP Representative Matt Gaetz, a critic of McCarthy who was instrumental in ousting him as House speaker in October, endorsed McCarthy for the role via a post on X, however it appeared he might have been joking.

"I fully endorse Kevin McCarthy for RNC Chair. Kevin is well organized and a very high-revenue fundraiser. He will also be well-liked by the RNC Committee," Gaetz wrote.

"The RNC Chair doesn't make any policy decisions, set any agenda, or negotiate against Democrats, ever. Kevin would be terrific."

Newsweek contacted Gaetz by email to comment on this story.

Speaking about who might replace McDaniel, Mark Shanahan, an associate professor in politics at the University of Surrey in the U.K., said it was key for a new chair to be trusted by Trump.

He said: "Whoever replaces Ronna McDaniel as chair of the RNC, if she does follow through and resign her role after the South Carolina primary, will need to be a great fundraiser, able to hit the ground running and have the full confidence—as far as that's possible—of Donald Trump. The very fact that McDaniel is on the verge of quitting shows just how total a hold Trump has over the GOP.

"Trump's backing will be key, and it's likely to go to whoever makes the most ostentatious display of puckering up and kissing the former president's ring. Replacing McDaniel will neither sort out the party's fundraising woes on Trump's ongoing legal travails—and a new back-room operator, with little presence in the national consciousness is unlikely to make a huge difference to Republican fortunes, but is also part of the circus in a particularly ugly election year."