Rough race shaping up for Michigan GOP chair

Ronna Romney McDaniel’s re-election bid for Michigan Republican chair this morning went directly at her competition, Scott Hagerstrom, head of the Donald Trump campaign in the state, by stealing away support from within the Trump camp.

Romney McDaniel announced that four of the six Trump Michigan co-chairs support her re-election — Terry Bowman, Lena Epstein, former congressman Pete Hoekstra, and Linda Lee Tarver. That move was a targeted hit at Hagerstrom, who has said that the true Michigan GOP is fueled by the grassroots and everyday Michiganders, not Lansing elites, according to the MIRS news service.

Hagerstrom is reportedly ready to announce his candidacy for the chairmanship as early as today. Romney McDaniel launched her re-election bid last week, even as she is under consideration for Republican National Committee chair.

In addition to the Trump co-chairs, Romney McDaniel revealed this morning that she has the support of both Michigan members of the Rules Committee at the July RNC convention — Matt Hall and Judi Schwalbach. That committee was credited with shutting down the #NeverTrump group’s long-shot plan for a brokered convention.

Prior to taking the reins for Trump in Michigan, Hagerstrom served as the executive director for the ultraconservative Americans for Prosperity-Michigan branch. He is a former legislative staffer in Lansing and, as MIRS noted, he also played a role in the defeat of Proposal 1 in May 2015, the road funding tax plan that was defeated by landslide proportions.

Hagerstrom views his MIGOP candidacy as a bid for less government and lower taxes. Meanwhile, Romney McDaniel is trying to co-opt the Trump victory – the first time the GOP has carried Michigan since 1988 – and trumpet the down-ballot Republican wins in Michigan last week.

In a press release, she listed the party’s successes: capturing 75 of 83 counties in the presidential race; electing/re-electing two state Supreme Court Justices by wide margins; winning five of eight of state Education and University Board seats; retaining nine congressional seats; keeping the majority in the state House; and gaining 36 county commissioner seats across the state.

Bowman, a leading advocate of the state’s 2014 right-to-work law, said:

“It’s been a generation since the Republican candidate for president received the support of blue-collar and union workers, as well as the Reagan Democrats, but Ronna provided strong leadership and helped acquire the resources to bring the campaign’s message to that important voting bloc.”