Michigan GOP Chair Kristina Karamo Voted Out, But Will She Accept?

They'll have to do a little more than host a meeting...

In a meeting, a group of 45 Michigan Republicans voted to have chairwoman Kristina Karamo removed after many of them called for her resignation.

But Karamo says she isn’t leaving.

Karamo, who didn’t attend the meeting, says she would not recognize the vote, regardless of the outcome, citing the meeting as unofficial and illegal. Close to 90% of the GOP members present at the Jan. 6 meeting voted for her removal, citing financial instability thanks to insufficient fundraising. The state GOP has been plagued with nearly $500,000 in debt as of October 2023 — along with another $110,000 owed to actor Jim Caviezel for a speaking appearance — and inside conflict.

Eight of the state’s 13 congressional district chairs want Karamo to “put an end to the chaos in our party” by stepping down. Committee members are prepared for a legal fight as her refusal to step down could set an unhealthy precedent. “She’s been voted out by the state committee,” state committee member, Bethany Wheeler, said.

“If this was a corporation, that’s the board. They’ve now fired the CEO, basically. She can fight it. But the fact of the matter is she was removed by the state committee and now they are in charge.”

Karamo rose to Republican prominence by spreading election conspiracies following the 2020 election. The former community college instructor was praised by former President Trump during her campaign for secretary of state in 2022, which she lost by 14 points — another result she has yet to concede to. In February 2023, Karamo was elected alongside her co-chair, Malinda Pego, with the goal of leading the party through the 2024 elections.

In under a year, Pego, who will now serve as acting chair until a formal election takes place, signed the petition to have Karamo removed, according to Politico.

The disgraced chair still has the support of some fellow GOP members. State Committeewoman Darlene Doetzel voted in Karamo’s favor and claimed race was the reason for the removal vote. “Let’s call it what it is. It’s all white in there,” Doetzel said. “Let’s not mistake this. You’ve got a Black woman in power, a Christian, and they don’t want that.”

The drama doesn’t arrive at the best time. The party will be hosting a convention on March 2 to prepare 39 of the state’s 55 Republican presidential delegates. The other 16 delegates will be determined based on the results of the Republican primary on Feb. 27.