Former congressman Pete Hoekstra elected MIGOP chair by anti-Karamo activists

LANSING — The anti-Karamo wing of the Michigan Republican Party on Saturday elected former GOP congressman Pete Hoekstra their new party chair, intensifying a power struggle between two warring factions that is now before the courts.

Members of the Michigan Republican State Committee who voted Jan. 6 to remove Kristina Karamo as party chair convened at a Lansing hotel Saturday and elected Hoekstra to replace her, after two ballots in a three-candidate contest.

But Karamo, who declared the Jan. 6 meeting unlawful and saw her supporters overwhelmingly endorse her leadership at a Jan. 13 meeting, says she remains the party's lawful leader. As of Saturday morning, Karamo was still listed as state party chair on the website of the Republican National Committee, which has not otherwise weighed in on the dispute.

The anti-Karamo faction filed a lawsuit In Kent County Circuit Court late Friday in an attempt to force Karamo out of office. On Thursday, Karamo and her supporters sent "cease and desist" letters to many of the leading dissenters, threatening legal action for copyright and trademark infringement, as well as defamation.

Hoekstra was elected to the disputed party chair position over Lena Epstein, a businesswoman who lost a bid for U-M regent in 2022 and was a candidate for state party chair last February, when Karamo was elected at a state convention, and Vance Patrick, who chairs the Oakland County Republican Party.

"We began the road to success today," Hoekstra said on social media after the vote.

Patrick, who runs a construction company with his son, placed third on the first ballot and threw his support to Hoekstra. About 70 votes were cast on each of the two ballots.

Hoekstra was seen as someone who could act as a bridge between the party's grassroots and its more traditional supporters. He is a former Republican congressman from west Michigan who served as U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands under former President Donald Trump. Hoekstra represented the 2nd District in the U.S. House from 1993 through 2010. He placed second to former Gov. Rick Snyder in the GOP gubernatorial primary in 2010 and lost a U.S. Senate bid to Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow in 2012.

Karamo criticized Hoekstra and his election in a social media post Saturday afternoon. "As chair of the Michigan Republican Party, we will not allow for the party to be stolen," she said. "Stop the charade and focus on winning in 2024."

But at least one sitting GOP congressman congratulated Hoekstra on his election. "I look forward to working with you to put America First, hold our battleground .. seat, and deliver victories for conservatives up and down the ballot this November," U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, said on social media.

In a significant move, Epstein, who co-owns a Southfield-based oil company, pledged before Saturday's voting to donate $500,000 in "seed money" and secure a line of credit with a bank, if elected chair, in an effort to ease the party's significant financial woes. But she lost on the second ballot after narrowly trailing Hoekstra on the first.

Karamo's opponents, like her, are strong supporters of Trump. They cited lackluster fundraising, interference with county party affairs, and a lack of transparency as reasons for ousting her. But both a candidate forum for the chair's race, held Thursday evening, and Saturday's election by state committee members, were closed to the media and general public.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on X, @paulegan4.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Former US Rep. Hoekstra elected MIGOP chair by anti-Karamo activists