Indian-origin Harmeet Dhillon rules out replacing McDaniel as RNC Chair

Washington, Feb 7

Prominent Indian-American Sikh attorney Harmeet K. Dhillon has denied that she is seeking to replace Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel.

McDaniel, who has served as the RNC Chairwoman since 2017, has told former President Donald Trump that she will step down from her post later this month, just after the South Carolina primary.

"Each version of RNC Game of Thrones I hear is worse than the last one," Dhillon, the former Vice Chairwoman of the California Republican Party, wrote in a post on X on Tuesday.

"To be clear, I’m not seeking the chair position. We had an election, I lost, shook the victor’s hand, and offered my support. But there are plenty of folks gunning for it. Happy where I am. I love the law!" she said.

Dhillon, 55, contested for the position last year and lost to McDaniel who comfortably won with 111 votes against the former's 51.

She was endorsed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the position and had claimed to have faced racist attacks from fellow Republicans because of her Sikh faith.

"(It is) hurtful to learn that a handful of RNC members, in a close race for RNC chair, have chosen to question my fitness to run the RNC by using my devout Sikh faith as a weapon against me,” Dhillon, who hails from Chandigarh, told Politico early last year.

According to a New York Post report, Trump is backing North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley as McDaniel’s replacement.

McDaniel's move comes after the Republican governing body reported decade-low fundraising numbers with the crucial presidential election this year and Republicans losing multiple elections since 2020.

As of December 31, the RNC had just $8 million in cash on hand, according to Federal Election Commission filings, the lowest since it had just over $5 million cash on hand at the end of 2014.

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