Michigan Republicans are embroiled in a leadership dispute that could lead to conflicting presidential nominating conventions on March 2. The clash stems from the removal of former chair Kristina Karamo, with the Republican National Committee recognizing former Congressman Pete Hoekstra as the new Michigan GOP chair.
Hoekstra announced that the state Republican Party will hold a presidential nominating convention in Grand Rapids on March 2 to allocate 39 of the state's 55 presidential delegates. However, Karamo and her supporters plan to hold a separate convention in Detroit on the same day.
Hearings regarding the dispute are scheduled for later this week, with a judge potentially resolving the situation before the convention events. Karamo, who was voted out as party chair in January, has contested the legitimacy of the meeting that led to her removal.
The internal conflict adds complexity to Michigan Republicans' delegate allocation process, which was already complicated due to the state's primary date being moved to Feb. 27 in violation of RNC rules. The party will split the primary into two parts, allocating 16 delegates based on the primary results and the remaining 39 at the March 2 convention.
Despite the dispute, the outcome for front-runner Donald Trump is not expected to be significantly impacted, as precinct delegates loyal to him are set to allocate the 39 delegates. The split loyalties within the state party may result in Hoekstra and Karamo each sending their own set of delegates to the RNC.
Local party leaders have expressed differing loyalties, with some pledging to attend Karamo's convention in Detroit regardless of the RNC's stance. The situation could potentially be resolved in court before the March 2 convention, as a lawsuit seeking to remove Karamo from the chair post has been allowed to proceed, with hearings scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.
