WASHINGTON — Former Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel is set to return to the political realm after being tapped to lead the Michigan Forward Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the Republican Party in the battleground state.
McDaniel, the niece of former Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, will serve as the organization’s CEO, according to The Wall Street Journal. The newly created nonprofit, funded in part by the powerful DeVos family, will focus its resources on making Michigan “reliably red,” McDaniel said.
“We need to become a state like Ohio,” McDaniel told the outlet.
McDaniel’s hiring comes as Republicans turn their attention to the battleground state ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, especially as the party seeks to flip control of the open Senate seat. The Michigan Senate race is one of just two toss-up races next November and is expected to be one of the most competitive elections.
There are also a handful of competitive House seats Republicans must defend next year in order to maintain their slim majority in the lower chamber.
The position will be McDaniel’s first major position since stepping down as the RNC leader last year amid a pressure campaign from Donald Trump and his allies. McDaniel had fallen out of favor with the then-Republican candidate because of her efforts to facilitate debates between him and the other presidential candidates despite Trump’s refusal to participate.
McDaniel also drew ire from some Republicans after a weaker-than-expected performance from Republicans in the 2022 midterm elections as Democrats outperformed initial expectations.
The Michigan Forward Network will be funded largely by the billionaire DeVos family, who are expected to pour millions of dollars into the organization and the 2026 midterm elections.
“I love my home state, and if you care about Michigan’s future, you cannot sit idly by and watch its decline,” Dick DeVos said in a statement. “The Michigan Forward Network is committed to delivering the leadership and policies we need to turn things around.”
The DeVos family has long involved itself in Michigan politics, reportedly spending more than $80 million over the last two decades on state races.