Rep. Lee Zeldin announced on Wednesday morning that he will not be competing for Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman.
However Zeldin went on to stress that change was badly needed in the RNC, and called for current chair Ronna McDaniel to not seek reelection.
RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel should not run for a 4th term.
I won’t be running for RNC Chair at this time with McDaniel’s reelection pre-baked by design, but that doesn’t mean she should even be running again.
It’s time the GOP elects new leadership!
It’s time for fresh blood!
— Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) December 7, 2022
The congressman, who just lost a tight governor race to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), took to Twitter to criticize the existing quo.
Along with his declaration, Zeldin issued a lengthy statement expressing his worries about the direction the Republican party has taken under McDaniel’s leadership.
Zeldin was referring to the Georgia Senate runoff, which incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) won against Republican rival Herschel Walker on Tuesday night.
The New York congressman originally stated his intention to challenge McDaniel in November, just after the midterm elections results.
Zeldin was among many Republican leaders who are now anxious about the state of the party after the projected “red wave” failed to materialize, leaving the Senate in Democratic control and with a tiny Republican majority in the House.
Multiple leaders, including Zeldin, have considered a challenge to McDaniel’s leadership. Conservative attorney Harmeet Dhillon recently announced her intention to run against McDaniel for the position.
McDaniel recently informed committee members that, based on their views, she will run for re-election through the 2024 presidential election.
She claimed to have the backing of a large majority of the 168-member committee.
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