LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In a meeting at a Lansing hotel on Saturday morning, Republican state committee members gathered for about three hours to vote in a new Chair for the state’s Republican Party. After two rounds of voting, they elected Pete Hoekstra, former West Michigan Congressman and Ambassador to the Netherlands under former President Donald Trump.

The vote followed a split within the party, with some committee members, and Co-Chair Malinda Pego, breaking off and voting to remove originally-elected Michigan GOP Chair Kristina Karamo from office. Both factions have had their own meetings and elections, claiming to have followed the party’s bylaws in electing their own Chairs.

A commitment to unify the Michigan GOP where all are welcome.

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 In a phone interview with Hoekstra after his win, he expressed his commitment to unifying the party. Unlike the previous administration, Hoekstra stated that he has no interest in removing anyone from their positions, emphasizing inclusivity.

Hoekstra said, “Our view is we welcome all Republicans into the party. It’s a matter of addition, not subtraction. We have our debates. We have our discussions. And as long as people are operating ethically, they are welcomed. We want them to be part of the political party. We want them to join with us. We will give them a voice. They will have an opportunity to voice their opinion. It’s also expected that once you express your opinion and the group has made a decision, that we all move forward together.”

Hoekstra emphasized the importance of moving forward together, stating that there is too much to accomplish over the next ten months to worry about expelling people from the party. He also acknowledged the challenges ahead which include inheriting a party with split allegiances and a debt of at least $500,000.

Support was forthcoming after the election.

Recognizing the debt and the other tasks ahead, Hoekstra is thankful for the party’s support and how they unified at the weekend meeting.

He said, “We had a really, really good day today. I feel very positive and very appreciative of the support that I got.” He also understands the need to focus on fundraising for Republican candidates and encouraging Michiganders to vote for Republicans.

How the votes broke down.

Hoekstra won the Chair position after competing against former Congressional candidate and businesswoman Lena Epstein and Oakland County Party Chairman Vance Patrick. In the first vote, Hoekstra received 30 votes, Epstein 27, and Patrick 13.

Despite Epstein’s pledge to bring in $500,000 as seed money for the party and having a connection to Trump as his 2016 campaign’s co-chair in the state, Hoekstra was able to secure a decisive victory. In the second round, Hoekstra won easily with 50 votes to Epstein’s 22. Patrick had put his support behind Hoekstra in the second round after he said he got a call from the Trump campaign who urged him to support Hoekstra.

A reenergized party with a new enthusiasm emerges despite challenges.

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Hoekstra expressed optimism about unity within the party, stating, “When the voting was done and I had an opportunity to talk to the state committee, everybody was very, very supportive…We had fun.”

Unity within the state party is crucial especially amidst the recent changes and legal disputes. Karamo, still recognized as the official Chair by the RNC on their website, recently sent cease and desist letters to party members, Hoekstra and the other Chair candidates for copyright infringement, trademark infringement and defamation of character.

On the other side of the fight, Co-Chair Malinda Pego and party officials filed a lawsuit in Kent County Circuit Court on Friday to be recognized as the legitimate state Republican Party.

The RNC has yet to comment on which MIGOP is the legitimate one.

The RNC, under Ronna McDaniel’s direction, has not taken a public position on the legitimacy of either faction. Hoekstra emphasized the need for RNC recognition, stating, “We need the Republican National Committee to recognize this group as the Michigan GOP. There’s really not much more that we can do until that recognition takes place.”

He added that talks between them and the RNC have been ongoing with Hoekstra urging the RNC to make a decision. He told Michigan News Source, “They need to make a decision because they need to recognize who they are going to sit at the next RNC meeting.”

As for the timing of when the RNC might be making that decision, Hoekstra said, “They’re waiting to see what happened today, whether the group would be successful in conducting their business today. Whether they would select the Chairman, conduct their other business and now move forward. And we met all of those hurdles.”

Karamo rejects Hoekstra’s election victory.

While Hoekstra remains positive about the future of the party, Karamo is not accepting that Hoekstra is now the legitimate Chair of the state party. Calling herself the “undisputed” leader of the party, Karamo posted on the social media platform X on Saturday saying, “As chair of the Michigan Republican Party, we will not allow for the party to be stolen. Stop the charade and focus on winning in 2024.”

Over the past few months, the state committee members who broke off and voted to oust Karamo as Chair have been described in different ways by the media including being a breakaway group, the Pego “faction” and the anti-Karamo wing.

When asked what Hoekstra wanted their group to be called, he quickly answered, “The Republican Party of Michigan.”