Michigan GOP elects controversial election denier to lead state party

The Michigan GOP on Saturday picked controversial election denier Kristinia Karamo to chair the party in the key battleground state heading into the 2024 election, according to reports.

Karamo beat out 10 other candidates to take the chair, besting fellow frontrunner and former attorney general candidate Matthew DePerno by 16 points in the third round of voting, Michigan outlet MLive reports.

Though Karamo has been an outspoken supporter of former President Trump and touted his false claims of election fraud, Trump backed DePerno in the party chair race.

Karamo was one of a number of Trump’s endorsees to lose out during last year’s midterms — losing her race for secretary of state in Michigan by 14 points to incumbent Jocelyn Benson (D).

Karamo, a former poll worker, had run for secretary of state on a platform of election denial and tried to sue to change Detroit’s absentee voting practices just days before the election.

Trump congratulated Karamo in a Truth Social post after her selection, calling her “a powerful and fearless Election Denier.”

“If Republicans (and others!) would speak the truth about the Rigged Presidential Election of 2020, like FoxNews should, but doesn’t, they would be far better off. The New York Times stated that ‘This cements the Party’s takeover by Trump loyalists.’ I don’t call them loyalists, I call them GREAT AMERICAN PATRIOTS!!!” the former president wrote, citing a Times article on Karamo’s win.

Democrats won a legislative “trifecta” in Michigan during the midterms, securing control of the state House, state Senate and the governor’s mansion.

Karamo said Saturday that she “cannot wait to get work done” with the Michigan Republican Party, Reuters reported.

“We are going to beat the Democrats in 24,” Karamo said.

Michigan’s Democrat attorney general, Dana Nessel, who fended off a challenge from DePerno during the midterms, said Karamo “will undoubtably use her new platform as MI GOP Chair to continue to file frivolous lawsuits in an effort to undermine MI elections and disenfranchise MI voters.”

Updated: 6:13 p.m.