Michigan Republican Party
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|
---|---|
Chairman | Ron Weiser |
House Leader | Kevin Cotter |
Senate Leader | Arlan Meekhof |
National Committeeman | Rob Steele |
National Committeewoman | Kathy Berden |
Founded | July 6, 1854, in Jackson |
Headquarters | Secchia-Weiser Republican Center, 520 N. Seymour St., Lansing, MI |
Student wing | Michigan Federation of College Republicans |
Youth wing | Michigan Young Republicans |
Women's wing | Republican Women's Federation of Michigan |
Teenage wing | Michigan TeenAge RepublicanS |
Ideology |
Conservatism Fiscal conservatism Social conservatism Economic liberalism |
National affiliation | Republican Party |
Colors | Red |
Senate |
27 / 38
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House of Representatives |
64 / 110
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U.S. Senate |
0 / 2
|
U.S. House of Representatives |
9 / 14
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Website | |
www |
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The Michigan Republican Party is the state affiliate of the national Republican Party in Michigan. It is sometimes referred to as MIGOP, which simply means Michigan Grand Old Party.
Ronna Romney McDaniel was the chairman of the party, having been elected in 2015 by delegates to the Republican State Convention, and Jeff Sakwa is co-chairman. Its Republican National Committee members are Rob Steele and Kathy Berden. Its party Vice-Chairs are Administrative Vice-Chair David Wolkinson, Youth Vice-Chair Michael Banerian, Coalitions Vice-Chair Adi Sathi, Outreach Vice-Chair Kelly Mitchell, Grassroots Vice-Chair Wendy Day, and Ethnic Vice-Chair Darwin Jiles Jr. McDaniel became the chair of the National Republican Party in 2017.
The Republican Party was born in the early 1850s by anti-slavery activists and individuals who believed that government should grant western lands to settlers free of charge. The first official Republican meeting took place on July 6, 1854 in Jackson, Michigan with David S. Walbridge serving as chairman. The name "Republican" was chosen because it alluded to equality and reminded individuals of Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party. At the Jackson convention, the new party adopted a platform and nominated candidates for office in Michigan.
In 1856, the Republicans became a national party when John C. Fremont was nominated for president of the United States under the "Free soil, free labor, free speech, free men, Fremont" slogan. Even though they were considered a "third party" because the Democrats and Whigs represented the two-party system at the time, Fremont received 33 percent of the vote. Four years later, Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican to win the White House.