LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Republicans plan to discuss the removal of state GOP Chairwoman Kristina Karamo during a meeting Saturday after many of the party’s leaders have called for her resignation following a year of leadership plagued by debt and infighting.
Karamo has made it clear she will not recognize the vote if removed Saturday, claiming the meeting is not official and has been illegally organized. The unfolding situation could set the stage for a court fight to determine control of the highest position within the Michigan GOP.
The internal dispute takes place as Michigan Republicans look to rebound from 2022 midterms in which they suffered historic losses. The party is aiming this year to flip an open U.S. Senate seat while also helping the Republican presidential nominee win the battleground state.
Michigan is among several swing states where parties overtaken by far-right leadership have struggled to overcome infighting and money issues. Similar situations have unfolded in Georgia and Arizona, which poses a significant implication in the 2024 presidential election where those states are poised to play pivotal roles.
Karamo, a former community college instructor, rose through Michigan’s Republican ranks by spreading election conspiracies after the 2020 presidential election. She eventually was backed by former President Donald Trump in her run for secretary of state in 2022, losing by 14 percentage points in a result that she still refuses to concede.
In February, Karamo was elected by grassroots activists alongside her co-chair, Malinda Pego, to lead the state party through the 2024 elections. Less than a year later, Pego has signed onto a petition seeking a vote on removing Karamo.
Eight of the state party’s 13 congressional district chairs called on Karamo to resign last week, citing financial instability stemming from insufficient fundraising and asking Karamo to “put an end to the chaos in our party” by stepping down.
Karamo has refused to…
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