Months of rising tensions and a chaotic weekend have left the Michigan GOP with two contested leaders and promise of a legal battle.
The battle centers around Kristina Karamo, who was elected to chair the party in February 2023. Financial troubles and interpersonal divisions have further stressed the organization which has already seen increased infighting in recent years.
Karamo ran for Secretary of State in 2022 while amplifying false claims of election fraud in 2020. She lost to incumbent Democrat Jocelyn Benson by 14 points and has yet to concede the race.
Opponents of Karamo gathered for a meeting on Jan. 6 where present members voted overwhelmingly to remove her from the post. According to these members, party co-chair Malinda Pego has been automatically appointed as acting chair following Karamo’ removal.
But dueling groups within the conservative movement have again divided on whether the meeting and its results are to be considered legitimate.
The schism has even resulted in competing websites — migop.org and mi-gop.org — with messages from respective chairs that the other is illegitimate.
A message from Pego displayed on the newly registered website says that Karamo and general counsel Dan Hartman were officially removed with the Jan. 6 vote.
“Petitions with the required signatures requesting the meeting and vote to remove former Chairwoman Kristina Karamo and former General Counsel were submitted accordingly and pursuant to the Michigan Republican State Committee Bylaws prior to the vote taken. The vote passed exceeding the needed threshold,” the statement reads.
The barebones website simply includes Pego’s headshot and statement, along with pictures of Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump.
The original MIGOP website still bears the face of Karamo with a message stating bluntly that “any claims that I have been removed as chair are false.”
Karamo has dismissed the meeting as illegitimate, saying it was held in violation of party by-laws governing how meetings are convened.
The Jan. 6 meeting saw 45 voting state committee members attending, a clear majority of whom voted to remove Karamo. The state committee is over 100 members but reached a quorum with the inclusion of members attending by proxy, according to meeting attendees.
Bree Moeggenberg, a state committee member and organizer of efforts to remove Karamo, said in a statement over the weekend that the vote represents a new chapter in the MIGOP.
“We have made history today! With over 88% of the members that were present and voting, we have taken the first step to engage and protect the various voices and liberties of all Republicans,” she said. “It is now time to collaborate and grow forward!”
The Republican National Committee has yet to officially recognize one chair over the other. RNC spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement Monday that they had yet to officially receive information on the weekend’s meeting.
“State chairs and RNC members are chosen by the state Republican parties. When the Michigan Republican Party sends us the information on their meeting over the weekend, we will review,” she said.
As observed by Bridge Michigan, the RNC still lists Karamo as Michigan’s state chairman as of Tuesday mid-day. But the party quickly replaced former Florida GOP leader Christian Ziegler, who was removed by state party members Monday amid a rape investigation.
Karamo’s faction of the party drew additional ire from many Republicans when a plan to effectively end voter participation in the candidate nominating process was made public. The proposal shifts that power from primary voters to precinct delegates.
Aric Nesbitt, leader of Michigan Senate Republicans, said in a social media post that the proposal goes against democratic principles.
“Republican voters should select their nominees through a primary. Hopefully the folks at the Party can focus on turning out Republican voters and help Republican candidates win in 2024, instead of working to disenfranchise millions of hardworking Republican voters,” he wrote.
And according to the Secretary of State’s office, the plan in its current form would be plainly illegal.
“Michigan Election Law specifies the method by which candidates for each office receive a party’s nomination and proceed to the general election,” spokesperson Angela Benander said in a statement. “Any changes would require legislative action.”
Andrew Sebolt, chair of the MIGOP’s 2nd District, said in December that the plan concerned members of the party. Discontent over the plan likely contributed to further conservative opposition to Karamo.
“Who has more power — the king or the kingmaker?” Sebolt asked.
Members of the party may reconvene on Jan. 13 for a special meeting called by Karamo.
