NEW ASSIGNMENT

Former Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna (Don’t Call Me Romney) McDaniel is back home in suburban Detroit and has landed a new gig. She has joined Dick DeVos and other members of the DeVos family to lead a new organization, Michigan Forward Network, with the goal of turning the Michigan Senate Republican in 2026. It is a 501(c)4 nonprofit, meaning it does not have to disclose donors to it but can spend money freely on elections. “Michigan is at a tipping point,” DeVos said in a statement. “With one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, underperforming schools and a shrinking population, the challenges facing Michigan are serious… The Michigan Forward Network is committed to delivering the leadership and policies we need to turn things around.” A fellow highly-placed Republican noted that McDaniel, with her history as both former chair of the RNC as well as the Michigan GOP, “has access to every big donor in the country. They’ll do a great job.” While they don’t intend to spend – at least at this point – on the gubernatorial race, telling the Wall Street Journal that by investing state legislative races they’ll help the top of the ticket. Also on the group’s leadership team is Shane Hernandez, a former state legislator who is the group’s president, and Sarah Anderson, an executive director of another DeVos-affiliated group, who is chief of staff.

Ronna McDaniel