Ronna McDaniel

Romney's grandmother, Lenore Romney, ran for the U.S. Senate in 1970.

McDaniel has said her career in politics was inspired by her family.

She attended Lahser High School in Bloomfield Township, Oakland County, Michigan, and earned an undergraduate degree in English from Brigham Young University.

McDaniel worked for SRCP Media as a production manager.

She also worked for the production company Mills James as a business manager and as a manager at the staffing firm Ajilon.

Ronna Romney McDaniel (born March 20, 1973) is an American political strategist who served as chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) from 2017 until her resignation in 2024.

McDaniel was born Ronna Romney on March 20, 1973, in Austin, Texas.

The third of five children born to Ronna Stern Romney and Scott Romney, the older brother of Mitt Romney, McDaniel is a granddaughter of three-term Michigan Governor George W. Romney.

Her mother ran for the U.S. Senate in 1996 against Carl Levin, served on the Republican National Committee, and was a delegate to the 1988 Republican National Convention.

McDaniel worked in Michigan for her uncle Mitt's 2012 campaign for President of the United States.

She was elected Michigan's representative to the Republican National Committee (RNC) in 2014.

A member of the Republican Party and the Romney family, she was chair of the Michigan Republican Party from 2015 to 2017.

During McDaniel’s tenure as chair of the RNC, the Republican Party had a net loss of eight governorships, four seats in the United States Senate, and 20 seats in the House of Representatives, and the presidency.

In December 2022, Axios wrote that McDaniel "has thus far failed to preside over a single positive election cycle."

A granddaughter of Michigan Governor and businessman George W. Romney and a niece of Massachusetts Governor and U.S. Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, McDaniel has been known for her prolific fundraising and staunch support for former President Donald Trump as RNC chair.

In 2015, McDaniel ran to be chair of the Michigan Republican Party, receiving support from both the party establishment and Tea Party activists.

At the party's convention in February 2015, she defeated Norm Hughes and Kim Shmina, receiving 55% of the vote in the first ballot.

She succeeded Bobby Schostak as chair and stepped down from her position at the RNC.

During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, McDaniel served as a delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention for Donald Trump.

Following the 2016 presidential election, McDaniel became a candidate to chair the Republican National Committee.

McDaniel was an early supporter of Donald Trump.

McDaniel had activist Wendy Day removed from her party position as grassroots vice-chair due to her refusal to support Trump.

On November 13, 2016, Reince Priebus, chairman of the RNC, was announced as the new White House Chief of Staff, thereby turning the RNC chairman election into an open seat election.

Soon afterward, several candidates were reported as likely to seek the position, including McDaniel.

On December 14, 2016, McDaniel was chosen by then president-elect Trump as his recommendation to replace Priebus.

She served as deputy chair before her formal election.

Since McDaniel's 2017 election as chair of the RNC, the Republican Party has had a net loss of seven governorships, three seats in the United States Senate, and 19 seats in the House of Representatives, and the presidency.

In December 2022, Axios wrote that McDaniel "has thus far failed to preside over a single positive election cycle."

On February 6, 2024, The New York Times reported that McDaniel intends to resign after the South Carolina Republican presidential primary, following dissatisfaction from Trump, who has publicly supported North Carolina Republican Party chair Michael Whatley.

South Carolina Republican Party chair and Republican National Committee Co-Chair Drew McKissick has also been mentioned as a replacement in several news outlets.

She was officially elected as RNC chair on January 19, 2017, by unanimous vote, becoming the second woman (after Mary Louise Smith) in RNC history to hold the post.

According to The Washington Post, Trump requested that she stop using her maiden name, and McDaniel subsequently did not use it in official communications.

McDaniel denies that Trump pressured her to change the name.

Under her leadership, the RNC ran ads for Trump's 2020 campaign as early as 2018, put numerous Trump campaign workers and affiliates on the RNC payroll, spent considerable funds at Trump-owned properties, covered his legal fees in the Russian interference investigation, hosted Trump's Fake News Awards, and criticized Trump critics within the Republican Party.

After Joe Biden won the 2020 election and Trump refused to concede, McDaniel and the RNC made claims of voter fraud, and attempted to overturn Biden's victory.

In 2022, she orchestrated a censure of Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, the two Republicans who served on the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack.

The censure characterized the violent pro-Trump mob as having engaged in "legitimate political discourse".

During its fourth public hearing, the House January 6 Committee presented a video excerpt of a deposition from McDaniel where she revealed that, at the request of Trump and John Eastman, she had the RNC help organize fake electors for the Trump fake electors plot.

On February 26, 2024, she announced her resignation as Chairwoman on advice from Donald Trump following the latter's victory in the 2024 South Carolina Republican presidential primary.

Her term as chair of the RNC ended on March 8.