DETROIT – The chair of the Oakland County Republican Party -- a key county in the upcoming 2024 election -- is calling on the Michigan Republican Party to remove its chairperson, saying Kristina Karamo is not a capable leader.
Oakland County GOP Chairman Vance Patrick on Monday called on the MIGOP’s State Central Committee to remove Kristina Karamo, the party’s chairperson, ahead of next year’s likely-to-be contentious presidential, state and local elections. In a statement shared on Dec. 11, Patrick said he believes Karamo is “not capable of building the infrastructure that is needed” for the party to ensure victory next year.
“This call for a vote to remove our current chair is not made lightly. It is a step [toward] ensuring that our party can continue to grow, unite, and effectively champion the ideals we hold dear,” Patrick wrote, in part. “A change in leadership is necessary to reinvigorate our party, to build stronger coalitions, and to prepare us for success in 2024 and beyond.”
Karamo, an election conspiracist who pushed former President Donald Trump’s “big lie” of election fraud, has been a controversial figure for the party since she was selected to lead the Michigan GOP in February. She received Trump’s endorsement in 2022 as a candidate in the race for Michigan’s secretary of state, but she ultimately lost to Democratic incumbent Jocelyn Benson by 14 points.
A former community college professor, Karamo took the helm of a party already struggling with infighting and debt at a time when Republicans were becoming increasingly divided over whether to support Trump. She also took on the leadership role at a time when Democrats have a majority in Michigan’s House, Senate and governor’s office for the first time in decades.
As the 2024 election approaches, Trump is the current Republican frontrunner, though several other Republican candidates are hoping to secure the party nomination. Both Karamo and Patrick support Trump, but the Oakland County GOP chair says Karamo’s actions are not enough to help get the former president elected to another term.
“Our leadership must align with the party’s strategic goals and effectively communicate and advocate for our platform while building relationships with grassroots, donors, and the voting public at large,” Patrick’s statement reads. “Unfortunately, we have observed a divergence from these objectives during Karamo’s tenure.”
In response, Karamo accuses Patrick of engaging in “bullying tactics” in an attempt to deter her from “course correcting” the party following the “disastrous leadership of the previous administration.”
“The bottom line is that I am steadfast in my commitment to engage and energize fellow Michiganders to help the Michigan Republican Party win more elections,” Karamo said in a statement provided to Local 4.
Eyes will be on the battleground state in the upcoming election year. Trump won Michigan’s electoral votes in 2016, but lost them to current U.S. President Joe Biden in 2020.
Michigan’s Oakland County will garner particular attention, as the longtime Republican stronghold switched in favor of Democrat Biden in 2020. Chairman Patrick is hoping to get the county, and the state, to turn red again in 2024, but claims it won’t be possible with Karamo in charge.
Some Republicans, including voters and elected officials, believe the GOP will be more successful if they distance themselves from Trump altogether.
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