LANSING, MI — Michigan Republicans plan to discuss the impeachment of state Republican Party Chairwoman Kristina Karamo at a meeting Saturday after many of the party's leaders called for her resignation following a year of leadership plagued by debt and infighting. conflict.
Karamo has made it clear that she will not recognize the vote if removed on Saturday, claiming the meeting is unofficial and organized illegally. The unfolding situation could set the stage for a lawsuit to determine control of the top position within the Michigan GOP.
The internal dispute comes as Michigan Republicans look to bounce back from the 2022 midterm elections, in which they suffered historic losses. The party is aiming this year to flip an open U.S. Senate seat while helping the Republican presidential nominee win the battleground state.
Michigan is one of the swing states where parties overtaken by far-right leadership have struggled to overcome infighting and money problems. Similar situations have occurred in Georgia and Arizona, which has an important implication for the 2024 presidential elections, where these states are poised to play a crucial role.
Karamo, a former community college instructor, rose through Michigan's Republican ranks by spreading election conspiracies after the 2020 presidential election. She was ultimately endorsed by former President Donald Trump in her 2022 bid for secretary of state, losing by 14 percentage points in an outcome she still refuses to concede.
In February, Karamo, along with her co-chair Malinda Pego, were chosen by activists to lead the state party through the 2024 elections. Less than a year later, Pego signed a petition calling for a vote on Karamo's removal.
Eight of Congress' 13 district chairmen last week called on Karamo to resign, citing financial instability due to insufficient fundraising and asking Karamo to “end the chaos in our party” by resigning.
Karamo has refused to resign and vowed not to leave if he is ousted at the meeting, calling the meeting “illegal” in a recent podcast on the Michigan GOP website. It is unclear whether enough party members will be present for the Saturday afternoon meeting to be official.
Karamo did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press.
Party members began formally pursuing Karamo's removal in early December, collecting the signatures of 39 state committee members on a petition calling for a special meeting to consider the change.
To oust Karamo, opponents would have to submit signatures from at least half of the state party's nearly 100 committee members on Saturday. The approval of 75% of the state committee members present would then be required, although an amendment is proposed to lower the threshold to 60%.
Whether Karamo survives the vote or not, the state party will have to make significant moves quickly if it hopes to influence the 2024 elections.
According to Karamo, the party was nearly $500,000 in debt as of October, with another $110,000 owed to actor Jim Caviezel for a speaking appearance. Karamo and the party are suing the trust that owns their headquarters, hoping to sell the building to pay off debts.
The unrest comes less than two months before the state party is scheduled to host a March 2 convention to split 39 of the state's 55 Republican presidential delegates. The remaining 16 delegates will be allocated based on the results of the February 27 Republican primary.
Republicans are trying to win a Senate seat in the state in November, a feat they haven't achieved since 1994. The party also wants to flip a slim majority in the Michigan House after Democrats win control of the state House and Senate in 2022. , while retaining the office of governor for the first time in 40 years.