Overview

• RNC members meeting in Atlanta voted unanimously to elevate Joe Gruters, who ran unopposed after securing President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
• Gruters replaces Michael Whatley, who resigned this month to launch a U.S. Senate campaign in North Carolina.
• The RNC reports more than $80 million in cash on hand, a war chest that far exceeds the Democratic National Committee’s latest totals.
• As chair, Gruters will direct 2026 midterm operations and help set the rules and calendar for the 2028 Republican presidential primary.
• A longtime Trump ally who co-chaired the 2016 Florida campaign, Gruters previously led the Florida GOP and is credited by Republicans with major voter registration gains, even as his strained relationship with Gov. Ron DeSantis persists.