The Republican National Committee elected Florida state Sen. Joe Gruters as its new chair today at a committee meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, replacing outgoing chairman Michael Whatley, who is running for US Senate in North Carolina.
“Thank you all so much, now the party’s in great hands moving forward — the skies are clear,” Gruters joked. “No, I love the chairman, what an incredible honor.”
Gruters, who previously served as the RNC’s treasurer, ran unopposed, with the backing of President Donald Trump making his election a formality.
Trump gave Gruters his “Complete and Total Endorsement” in a social media post earlier this month, calling him a “MAGA Warrior.”
More background: Gruters succeeds Whatley, who took the helm of the national party in 2024 following former RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel’s exit amid tensions with Trump. After announcing his departure, Whatley had also touted Gruters’ status as an ally to the president.
The new chair takes over an RNC with an exceptionally strong balance sheet, having amassed more than $80 million in cash on hand — more than five times its Democratic counterpart.
A story to watch: Tension between Gruters and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over state politics has emerged as a key subplot in the state senator’s elevation to RNC chair.
DeSantis, who has kept the door open to another White House bid, could now find himself running in a future presidential primary partially controlled by an RNC chairman he has repeatedly spurned.
Steve Contorno contributed reporting to this post.
