Former Gubernatorial Candidate Lee Zeldin said he would not be seeking chairmanship of the Republican National Committee last Wednesday.
The Long Island Representative is encouraging party officials to determine who will be the new leader after a disappointing loss against incumbent Kathy Hochul in November.
“I won’t be running for RNC Chair at this time with [current chair Ronna] McDaniel’s re-election pre-baked by design, but that doesn’t mean she should even be running again,” Zeldin said.
In the weeks after the election, Zeldin advised Republicans to take a look at the national leadership and to make a necessary change. He said he is committed to helping “save our country” and continued to urge the Republican party to push for election integrity efforts and continue building on the red wave to ensure a win in the next election.
“Change is desperately needed, and there are many leaders, myself included, ready and willing to step up to ensure our party retools and transforms as critical elections fast approach, namely the 2024 Presidential and Congressional races,” he said.
“The better path forward would be for Chairwoman McDaniel to listen to and respect the wishes of the actual grassroots voters of our party and allow the RNC to forge ahead with new leadership,” he added. “Her greatest service to the Republican Party at this time would be to make room for a new Chair.”
The lack of support for McDaniel comes amid Herschel Walker’s defeat in the Georgia Senate runoff last Tuesday.
