Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair candidate Harmeet Dhillon reacted to the RNC Chair election results in an interview with the Daily Caller.
Dhillon told the Daily Caller that the “RNC is a little club” for party insiders and “this body thinks the status quo is fine” after incumbent RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel won reelection. She felt it was her duty to “stand up and demand change” on the inside and “labored in silence” as a member of the RNC’s executive committee.
🚨BREAKING🚨 Ronna McDaniel Re-elected RNC Chair https://t.co/eylHgdzhhu
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 27, 2023
Dhillon, a six-year RNC member and California election lawyer, pledged to serve the final two years of her term and work with McDaniel to improve the party from the inside. Dhillon said she was “disappointed” with the results and her team “did [their] best” to challenge McDaniel. The committee assignments are decided by McDaniel and it’s unclear if Dhillon will remain on the executive committee, she said.
She believes Republicans have to “start with change inside” and she hopes to inspire change in GOP affiliates on the local and state levels given the grassroots support for her campaign.
Prominent conservatives such as activist Charlie Kirk, and Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham threw their weight behind Dhillon’s campaign. Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also expressed support for Dhillon in a Thursday interview. (RELATED: Here’s What To Watch Out For In Today’s RNC Showdown)
Her campaign assembled an army of grassroots activists who called and emailed RNC members on Dhillon’s behalf. Her challenge to McDaniel’s seat came after Republicans underperformed in the 2022 midterm elections and narrowly reclaimed the House majority.
McDaniel received 111 of the 168 member votes to serve a fourth two-year term, ensuring she will be the longest tenured RNC Chair in modern history. Dhillon garnered 51 votes, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell received 4 votes and former Republican New York Rep. Lee Zeldin got one vote.
The election took place Friday at the RNC’s annual winter meeting in California. Dhillon described the event as a “pep rally” for McDaniel and said the rules were “rigid” for her team on “petty things” such as proxy requests. Dhillon was reportedly seated in the back of the RNC meeting after confusion about whether she would attend, according to Politico.
Dhillon ran on an “agenda for the RNC’s future” with proposals to decentralize the organization and become more responsive to the party’s grassroots, her website says. She began her career as a volunteer and worked her way up through the California GOP to her position on the RNC.