Republican activists in North Carolina have chosen a person to run the state’s day-to-day operations as the next chairman of the Republican National Committee, replacing Michael Whatley, who was promoted to chairman earlier this month.
Members of the state Republican Party Executive Committee voted Tuesday night in Johnston County to replace Lee County Party Chairman Jim Womack as state chairman by a more than 2-1 margin over party executive director Jason Simmons. A party spokesperson announced that he had been selected.
Simmons had received support for the job from former President Donald Trump, who handpicked Whatley to replace longtime RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. Mr. Whatley resigned as state chairman on Tuesday.
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Simmons has strong political ties to Trump, serving as state director for Trump’s presidential campaign in North Carolina in 2016 and working for Trump’s campaign in some southeastern states in 2020. supervised.
The North Carolina Republican Party seal stands at the podium during former Vice President Mike Pence’s speech on June 10, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
“I am honored to have been chosen by my fellow Republicans to lead our party in the most important election of our lives,” Simmons said in a news release. He argued that Trump would retake North Carolina’s electors, elect Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson as governor, maintain a veto-proof majority in the General Assembly, and win an appeals court battle. He pointed out the effort.
“I’m ready to give it my all,” Simmons added.
State Republican Party spokesman Matt Mercer said Simmons defeated Womack 289-130. This victory will allow Simmons to continue as chairman until the next presidential election, scheduled for June 2025.
In a social media endorsement, President Trump wrote that Simmons “has been key to many Republican victories in the Tar Heel State. Jason will be a great addition to the MAGA movement.”
Whatley is leading a new RNC leadership team that includes Trump’s daughter-in-law and North Carolina native Lara Trump as committee co-chair.
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North Carolina went to Trump in both 2016 and 2020, but Trump won the state’s popular vote in 2020 by just 1.3 percentage points. The Democratic Party has performed well in gubernatorial races, winning the governorship in seven of the past eight general elections.
