Michigan GOP chair officially ousted after weeks of chaos
Kristina Karamo was voted out from her role in a vote last month.
Michigan Republicans on Wednesday officially ousted state party chair Kristina Karamo, ending a weeks-long feud that began with a Jan. 6 vote to remove her from her post over insufficient fundraising and party infighting.
“The committee on contests ruled that it is their belief that Karamo was removed as chair, and it was recommended to the RNC executive committee to ratify [Pete] Hoekstra as chair,” an RNC official said in a statement. “The Executive Committee took action today to unanimously ratify Hoekstra as an RNC member as chair.”
Karamo, an election-denier previously backed by former President Donald Trump, began serving as party chair last year after losing her bid to become secretary of state in 2022. Her far-right rhetoric as leader of the state party alienated donors and, along with debt issues, led some of her allies to join the push to remove her from her post.
She also refused to accept a January vote from Michigan Republicans that removed her as chair and claimed the meeting was illegitimate, plunging the party further into chaos.
Karamo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Former Michigan Rep. Pete Hoekstra will now run the state party after receiving an endorsement from Trump last month.
“It is time for the former Chair who was properly removed in accordance with the MIGOP bylaws to end her misinformation campaign,” Hoekstra said in a statement. “She should join the fight to re-elect Donald Trump rather than dividing this Party.”
Zach Montellaro contributed to this report.
