RNC leadership also emerges as GOP question mark after midterm losses, Trump choice faces challenge
Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters faces a challenge from KC Crosbie, the RNC’s co-chair and a former committee treasurer.
Democrats' huge wins in the recent midterm elections and the resulting political soul-searching and questions about leadership have also made their way to the Republican National Committee, where Chairman Joe Gruters, President Trump's pick to lead the group into the 2028 presidential election cycle, is facing a challenge from co-chair KC Crosbie.
Crosbie, who also is a former RNC treasurer, announced Thursday that she intends to challenge Gruters for the chairmanship at the committee’s January meeting.
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she → emerge → meeting
She has called for an examination of the party’s performance after Democrats captured control of both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's election.
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Democrats → call → election
The challenge sets the stage for a test of Trump’s influence over the Republican Party amid growing pressure to reconsider their political strategy heading into 2028.
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challenge → set → 2028
Gruters, a longtime Florida Republican and close Trump ally, took over as RNC chairman in August 2025.
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Gruters → take → August
He had expressed confidence in the party's prospects heading into Tuesday's elections, arguing that Republicans were poised to overcome historical trends.
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Republicans → express → trends
Trump made clear Friday that he wants Gruters to remain in charge despite the party's losses.
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Gruters → make → losses
“Joe Gruters should return as Chairman of the RNC to continue to build our Party,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
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Trump → return → post
“As Chairman, Joe turned the RNC into an efficient, focused, and powerful machine that will continue to empower the America First Agenda for many years to come.”
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that → turn → years
Crosbie, a Republican from Kentucky who has served as the state's national committee member since 2012, outlined her concerns after the election in a letter to the RNC's 168 members announcing her candidacy.
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who → serve → candidacy
She argued that the party needed to take a hard look at why its election operation failed to produce better results.
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operation → argue → results
“Tuesday’s results were a serious setback,” Crosbie wrote.
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Crosbie → write → ?
“We owe ourselves an honest account of why.
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We → owe → why
Voters were focused on the cost of living, and the direction of the country.
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Voters → focus → country
Our improvements in field operations, voter contact, and election integrity infrastructure were valuable, but they did not address those concerns or deliver the results we needed.”
She pointed to the economy and voters' concerns about the cost of living and the country's direction as issues the party had failed to adequately address.
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party → address → issues
Crosbie questioned whether Republican candidates had received sufficient support and whether the party had done enough to nominate candidates capable of winning competitive races.
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party → question → races
She said there have been improvements in field operations, voter outreach and election integrity initiatives, but argued the party still came up short despite those efforts.
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party → say → efforts
Crosbie moved from treasurer to co-chair in January 2025.
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Crosbie → move → January
She has also held leadership positions in Kentucky Republican politics, including serving three terms on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council.
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She → hold → Council
Her candidacy presents an unusual challenge to the traditional practice of sitting Republican presidents selecting the party's national chairman.
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presidents → present → chairman
Trump backed Gruters and Crosbie for their respective leadership positions.
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Trump → back → positions
The RNC's 168 members will ultimately determine who leads the organization when they gather in January in Scottsdale, Arizona.
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they → determine → Scottsdale
Last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly told his staff that he will not remain in the post.
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he → tell → post
The Louisiana Republican as of Sunday had yet to make a public announcement on the matter.
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Republican → have → matter
But Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who is the No. 2 GOP leader, has already announced his bid for House minority leader.
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who → announce → leader
“Last night’s election was far worse than any of us expected," he said in a letter Wednesday to GOP colleagues.
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he → expect → colleagues
“We will need to be honest with ourselves about what happened."
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what → need → ourselves
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is also running for minority leader.
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Jordan → run → leader
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