Rep. Matt Gaetz has endorsed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy to be the next Republican National Committee chairman following news that the current chair, Ronna McDaniel, plans to resign at the end of the month.
“I fully endorse Kevin McCarthy for RNC Chair. Kevin is well organized and a very high-revenue fundraiser,” Mr. Gaetz, Florida Republican, posted on X. “He will also be well-liked by the RNC Committee. The RNC Chair doesn’t make any policy decisions, set any agenda, or negotiate against Democrats, ever. Kevin would be terrific.”
Mr. McCarthy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The endorsement is curious as Mr. McCarthy, California Republican, left Congress in December just weeks after he was ousted as House speaker in a GOP rebellion led by Mr. Gaetz.
Mr. Gaetz and seven other House Republicans joined with all the chamber’s Democrats to remove Mr. McCarthy as speaker.
Mr. McCarthy, who is known for his fundraising prowess, would be considered an outsider to the insular RNC that usually elects its leadership from within its membership ranks. Still, it is not against its bylaws for individuals outside its 168 members to run for the chairmanship.
The last time Mr. McCarthy led a similar organization was when he was chairman of the Young Republican National Federation from 1999 to 2001.
Republican Party sources told The Washington Times that Ms. McDaniel was planning to resign, and she discussed her departure with former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate Monday.
She is expected to resign after the Feb. 24 South Carolina GOP primary.
“Nothing has changed. This will be decided after South Carolina,” RNC spokesperson Keith Schipper said in a statement to The Times.
According to GOP sources, Ms. McDaniel will likely benefit from a soft landing within the party, possibly with a post in the Trump campaign or another job in the conservative ecosphere.
RNC members on X’s live space late Tuesday discussed potential successors to Ms. McDaniel, including North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley, who was endorsed by Mr. Trump for co-chair in 2023 but was defeated by South Carolina GOP Chairman Drew McKissick.
Tyler Bowyer, an RNC national committeeman from Arizona, wrote on X that Mr. Whatley was “Ronna’s pick” and that conservatives are pulling for Mr. McKissick.
An election among the RNC’s 168 members will be required to fill the chairman and co-chairman posts. RNC rules require a man-woman team to lead the party. If the chair is a man, the co-chair must be a woman and vice versa.
The Times reached out to Mr. Whatley and Mr. Bowyer for comment.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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