Former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel allegedly blew off an attempt to help Nebraska tweak its state election rules to help former President Donald Trump in the presidential race, according to Semafor.
Nebraska RNC Party Chairman Eric Underwood previously approached McDaniel about a bill frozen in the Nebraska state legislature which would assign all five of the state’s electors to the statewide winner, Underwood told Semafor. Nebraska currently splits its electoral votes with two for the statewide winner and three for the winner of each congressional district, a move that was made in 1991. Underwood told the outlet that the pitch was allegedly dismissed by the former chairwoman. (RELATED: ‘They Are Miles Ahead’: Despite ‘Election Integrity’ Hype, GOP Could Be Walking Into 2024 Legal Buzzsaw)
“In essence, the response was: I’m a federal officer, this is a state issue,” Underwood told Semafor, noting that the pitch made no movement until Tuesday. “Thanks for the heads up, tell us how it goes.”
Tyler Bowyer, the chief operating officer of Turning Point USA and an Arizona RNC committeeman, reportedly reached out to Underwood on Tuesday asking if the bill could be salvaged, Semafor reported.
The RNC elected new leadership in March after McDaniel made the decision to resign from her post. The former president’s daughter in-law Laura Trump and North Carolina RNC Chairman Michael Whatley were elected in McDaniel’s place as the party merged with the Trump campaign.
Charlie Kirk and Rob Smith speak at Turning Point USA (TPUSA) Culture War event at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio on October 29, 2019. (Photo by MEGAN JELINGER/AFP via Getty Images)
Following Bowyer’s text to Underwood, Republican Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, alongside Trump and Republican Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts, endorsed the plan to unfreeze the bill, according to Semafor. The bill, however, was halted from progress after a state senator attempted to add “winner-take-all language” as the legislation made its way to the floor, the outlet reported.
“There are constitutional, by-the-rules ways of making this happen, including how to amend it into another bill, to call a special session, to do a suspension of the rules,” Underwood told Semafor. “They have options.”
Despite the setback, the bill is still being attempted to be saved by the GOP, Semafor reported. Turning Point USA and the Nebraska GOP are partnering up to host a “Win Every Vote” rally to garner support for the legislation. There are multiple ways the bill can be advanced, Underwood told Semafor, adding that Republicans must recognize the weight of the situation.
“It’s an open question, but anybody opposing this effort to make Nebraska winner-take-all is in a good position right now,” Gunner Ramer, spokesperson for Defending Democracy Together, an organization opposed to the bill, told Semafor. “With Charlie Kirk coming in, with the rally happening next week, we want to put pressure on Republican lawmakers. We want to make sure the governor knows that they don’t have the votes.”
The RNC did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.