Ronna McDaniel

Ronna Romney McDaniel
Chair of the Republican National Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 19, 2017
Preceded by	Reince Priebus
Chair of the Michigan Republican Party
In office February 21, 2015 – February 11, 2017
Preceded by	Bobby Schostak
Succeeded by	Ron Weiser
Personal details
Born	Ronna Romney 1973 (age 50–51)
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Patrick McDaniel
Children	2
Education	Brigham Young University (BA)

Ronna Romney McDaniel (born 1973) is an American political operative. A member of the Republican Party, she is the current chair of the Republican National Committee, and former chair of the Michigan Republican Party. A third generation politician, Romney McDaniel is the granddaughter of George W. Romney and the niece of Mitt Romney.

Background

McDaniel is the third of five children born to Ronna Stern Romney and Scott Romney, the brother of Mitt Romney. She attended Lahser High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and Brigham Young University.

McDaniel and her husband, Patrick McDaniel, have two children. They live in Northville, Michigan.

Career

McDaniel worked for SRCP Media as a production manager. She also worked for the production company Mills James as a business manager and as a manager at the staffing firm Ajilon.

McDaniel worked in Michigan for her uncle Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign for President of the United States. She was elected Michigan's representative to the Republican National Committee (RNC) in 2014.

In 2015, McDaniel ran for chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, receiving support from both the party establishment and Tea Party activists. At the party's convention in February, she defeated Norm Hughes and Kim Shmina, receiving 55% of the vote in the first ballot. She succeeded Bobby Schostak as chairman and stepped down from her position at the RNC.

During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, McDaniel served as a delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention for Donald Trump. Following the 2016 presidential election, McDaniel became a candidate to chair the Republican National Committee.

On November 13, 2016, Reince Priebus, chairman of the RNC, was announced as the new White House Chief of Staff, thereby turning the RNC chairman election into an open seat election. Soon afterward, several candidates were reported as likely to seek the position, including McDaniel. On December 14, 2016, McDaniel was chosen by President-elect Trump as his recommendation to replace Priebus. She was officially elected as RNC Chairwoman on January 19, becoming only the second woman to hold the post in RNC history.