Michael Whatley | |
---|---|
Chair of the Republican National Committee | |
Assumed office March 8, 2024 | |
Preceded by | Ronna McDaniel |
Chair of the North Carolina Republican Party | |
In office June 8,2019 –March 8,2024 | |
Preceded by | Aubrey Woodard (acting) |
Succeeded by | Susan Mills (acting) |
Personal details | |
Born | 1968or1969(age 54–55) |
Political party | Republican |
Education | University of North Carolina,Charlotte (BA) Wake Forest University (MA) University of Notre Dame (MA,JD) |
Michael Whatley (born 1968 or 1969) [1] is an American lawyer and politician from North Carolina who has served as chair of the Republican National Committee since March 8,2024. Beforehand,he was chair of the North Carolina Republican Party for five years,the last year of which he also served as the RNC's general counsel.
Whatley is from Watauga County,North Carolina. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a bachelor's degree in history and from Wake Forest University with a master's degree in religion. In 1997,he earned a Juris Doctor degree and a master's degree in theology from the University of Notre Dame. [2]
Whatley began working in Republican Party politics when he volunteered on the 1984 reelection campaign of U.S. Senator Jesse Helms while he was a sophomore at Watauga High School. [3]
In 2000,Whatley was a member of George W. Bush's team pursuing the Florida recount. He served in the United States Department of Energy during the presidency of George W. Bush. Whatley was chief of staff for Elizabeth Dole when she served in the U.S. Senate. [4] He was an executive vice president for the Consumer Energy Alliance from 2008 to 2019,while he was a partner at lobbying firm HBW Resources. [5]
In June 2019,the North Carolina Republican Party selected Whatley to succeed Robin Hayes as their chair. [6] [7] Whatley was closely involved in President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election,including participating in the December 2020 phone call on which Trump urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" the votes he needed to win the state. [8]
Following the United States Capitol attack on January 6,2021,Whatley refused to place blame with Trump,saying that only those who participated in the riots bear responsibility. [9] [10] In February 2021,Whatley said "we certainly saw evidence of voting irregularities,of election counting irregularities in a number of places around the country",and that the reason Trump won North Carolina was his state party's vigilance against Democrats' attempts to cheat. [11] Also in February 2021,the state party voted unanimously to censure Senator Richard Burr for voting to convict President Trump during his second impeachment. [12]
The Republican National Committee appointed Whatley as its general counsel in February 2023. [13] In February 2024,Donald Trump endorsed Whatley to replace Ronna McDaniel as chair of the RNC. [14] On March 8,2024,Whatley was elected as the new chair of the RNC,along with Lara Trump as his co-chair. [15] [16] Per the North Carolina party's 2022 plan of organization,its vice chair (Susan Mills) served as state chair until a successor was elected. [17] [18]
The Republican National Committee (RNC) is the primary committee of the Republican Party of the United States. Its members are chosen by the state delegations at the national convention every four years. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform,as well as assisting in fundraising and election strategy. It is also responsible for organizing and running the Republican National Convention. When a Republican is president,the White House controls the committee. According to Boris Heersink,"political scientists have traditionally described the parties' national committees as inconsequential but impartial service providers."
Patrick Timothy McHenry is an American politician currently serving as U.S. representative for North Carolina's 10th congressional district since 2005,which includes the communities of Hickory and Mooresville. He is also chair of the House Financial Services Committee since 2023. A member of the Republican Party,he served as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for one term before being elected to Congress.
Michael Stephen Steele is an American politician,attorney,and political commentator who served as the seventh lieutenant governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007 and as chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) from 2009 until 2011;he was the first African-American to hold either office.
William Asa Hutchinson II is an American attorney,businessman,and politician who served as the 46th governor of Arkansas from 2015 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party,he previously served as a U.S. attorney,U.S. representative,and in two roles in the George W. Bush administration. He was a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
The Michigan Republican Party is the state affiliate of the national Republican Party in Michigan,United States,sometimes referred to as MIGOP.
The Georgia Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Georgia and one of the two major political parties. It is the current favored party in the state and is chaired by Joshua McKoon.
The North Carolina Republican Party (NCGOP) is the affiliate of the Republican Party in North Carolina. Michael Whatley was the chair from 2019 until his election as national chair in March 2024. It is currently the state's favored party,controlling half of North Carolina's U.S. House seats,both U.S. Senate seats,and a 3/5 supermajority control of both chambers of the state legislature,as well as a majority on the state supreme court.
The 2011 Republican National Committee (RNC) chairmanship election was held on January 14,2011,to determine the next chairman of the RNC,to serve a two-year term ending in 2013 and will lead the party through the 2012 general elections. After seven rounds of balloting,Reince Priebus was elected chairman over incumbent chair Michael Steele,Saul Anuzis,Ann Wagner and Maria Cino.
Reinhold Richard "Reince" Priebus is an American lawyer and politician who served as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2011 to 2017 and as White House chief of staff during the first six months of Donald Trump's presidency.
The 2012 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 6,2012,as part of the 2012 general election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. North Carolina voters chose 15 electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate,Vice President Joe Biden,against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate,Congressman Paul Ryan.
The 2016 United States presidential election in North Carolina held on Tuesday,November 8,2016,as part of the 2016 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. North Carolina voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote,pitting the Republican Party's nominee,businessman Donald Trump,and running mate Indiana Governor Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee,former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,and her running mate Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. North Carolina had 15 electoral votes in the Electoral College.
Ronna Romney McDaniel is an American political strategist who served as chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) from 2017 until her ousting in 2024. A member of the Republican Party and the Romney family,McDaniel was chair of the Michigan Republican Party from 2015 to 2017.
Presidential primaries and caucuses of the Republican Party took place in many U.S. states,the District of Columbia,and five U.S. territories from February 3 to August 11,2020,to elect most of the 2,550 delegates to send to the Republican National Convention. Delegates to the national convention in other states were elected by the respective state party organizations. The delegates to the national convention voted on the first ballot to select Donald Trump as the Republican Party's nominee for president of the United States in the 2020 election,and selected Mike Pence as the vice-presidential nominee.
Lara Lea Trump is an American former television producer who has co-chaired the Republican National Committee since March 2024. She is married to Eric Trump,the third child of former U.S. President Donald Trump. She was the producer and host of Trump Productions' Real News Update and a producer of Inside Edition.
The 2020 Republican National Convention in which delegates of the United States Republican Party selected the party's nominees for president and vice president in the 2020 United States presidential election,was held from August 24 to 27,2020.
This is a timeline of major events leading up to,during,and after the 2024 United States presidential election. This will be the first presidential election to be run with population data from the 2020 census. In addition to the dates mandated by the relevant federal laws such as those in the U.S. Constitution and the Electoral Count Act,several milestones have consistently been observed since the adoption of the conclusions of the 1971 McGovern–Fraser Commission.
Presidential primaries and caucuses are being held to select delegates to the 2024 Republican National Convention to determine the party's nominee for president in the 2024 United States presidential election. The Republican primaries and caucuses have taken place or will take place in all 50 U.S. states,the District of Columbia,and five U.S. territories between January and June 2024. The 2024 Republican National Convention is scheduled to be held in July at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee,Wisconsin.
Martin Andrew McKissick is an American politician who has served as chair of the South Carolina Republican Party since 2017. In 2023 he was re-elected to his fourth term in the office. McKissick also served as co-chair of the Republican National Committee from 2023 to 2024,when he was replaced by Lara Trump.
The 2024 Republican National Committee (RNC) special leadership elections were held on March 8,2024 in Houston,Texas,to determine the next Chair,Co-Chair,and Chief Operating Officer of the Republican National Committee.
Susan Mills will continue to serve as Vice Chair.