Jacob Ogles
Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Michael Whatley formally announced he will step down from his post and endorsed RNC Treasurer Joe Gruters to succeed him.
Whatley will step down at the Summer meeting of the RNC, scheduled later this month in Atlanta. He encouraged members of the national committee to follow President Donald Trump’s lead and elect Gruters to the open Chair post immediately.
“Joe has not only done fantastic work as our RNC treasurer, he has been a steadfast ally of President Trump since day one, serving as President Trump’s 2016 Florida co-chair alongside Susie Wiles,” Whatley wrote in an email to RNC members.
“And like each of you, he knows what it means to work with the grassroots every day as a former chair of the Republican Party of Florida. It is critical that Joe has the trust of the President and his entire team.”
Whatley sent the email a day after formally launching his candidacy for U.S. Senate in North Carolina.
Trump endorsed Whatley for Senate and Gruters for RNC chair last week, reshaping Florida’s political landscape for 2026 significantly. Gruters was running for Florida Chief Financial Officer but is not expected to continue that pursuit as he leads the national party into a critical Midterm election cycle.
Of note, both Wiles and Gruters are expected to speak at a Republican Party of Florida event in Orlando on Saturday.
After Trump secured the Republican nomination for President, he reportedly considered both Whatley and Gruters as his choice to replace former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel heading into the presidential election, at the same time Florida resident Lara Trump took over as RNC Co-Chair.
In January, Whatley won re-election as RNC Chair as Lara Trump stepped down. RNC Treasurer K.C. Crosbie then won election as RNC Co-Chair, while Gruters won the race to be RNC Treasurer.
