(The Center Square) – Ronna McDaniel’s announcement Monday morning to step down from leading the Republican National Committee on March 8 clears the way for North Carolinian Michael Whatley to succeed her.
Whatley, chairman of the state Republican Party, is the pick of former President Donald Trump. The nation’s 45th president also wants Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law, as the co-chairwoman.
Trump is scheduled for a rally at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex on Saturday afternoon at 2.
In a statement, McDaniel said, “I have decided to step aside at our spring training on March 8 in Houston to allow our nominee to select a chair of their choosing. The RNC has historically undergone change once we have a nominee and it has always been my intention to honor that tradition.”
Trump has won all the caucuses and primaries thus far, the latest in South Carolina on Saturday. He’s heavily favored in Michigan on Tuesday. Fifteen states hold Republican primaries on March 5, also known as Super Tuesday.
Whatley, general counsel to the national committee, has been chairman of North Carolina’s Republican Party since 2017. He was reelected to a fourth term last month. Lara Trump is married to Eric Trump, the former president’s third son. She has previously had multiple TV roles and led the Trump-Pence Women’s Empowerment Tour.
