2021 Democratic Republican leadership election
The 2021 Democratic Republican Leadership election is an election to be held in December, 2021. Triggered by a myriad of concerns surrounding the ongoing leadership of incumbent DRP Leader, Mitt Romney, frontbench MC, Nikki Haley resigned on November 22, 2021. On November 28, she expressed her desire to place a motion of no confidence into the party room meeting scheduled for forty-eight hours after.
In accordance with party rules, first there must be a vote of no confidence. If that is agreed to, a second set of votes is required to select the eventual leader. To nominate, candidates must forward nomination to the Party Whip, or if the Whip is a nominee, then the Deputy Party Whip, by the vote of no confidence occurring. Thereafter, rounds of voting are held until the lowest placing candidates are defeated, and members revote until a leader is chosen with over half of caucus-wide support.
Candidates
Elected
- Nikki Haley, MC for Columbia West, SC
Defeated
- Asa Hutchinson, MC for Ameringer, AR (Ballot 1)
- Lisa Murkowski, MC for Fulton, AK (Ballot 2)
- Rand Paul, MC for Arnow, KY (Ballot 3)
- Josh Hawley, MC for Missouri at-Large (Ballot 4)
Withdrew
- Joni Ernst, MC for Ankeny, IA
- Charlie Dent, MC for Pennsylvania at-Large (After Ballot 2, and endorsed Nikki Haley)
Declined
- Ron Paul, MC for Texas at-Large (Endorsed Rand Paul)
- Susan Collins, MC for Maine at-Large (Endorsed Lisa Murkowski)
- Elizabeth Cheney, MC for Knapp, WY (Endorsed Nikki Haley)
- John Boehner, MC for Butler, OH (Endorsed Nikki Haley)
- Nicole Malliotakis, MC for Staten Island, NY (Endorsed Nikki Haley)
- Marco Rubio, MC for Miami West, FL (Endorsed Nikki Haley)
- Kevin Stitt, MC for Elmer, OK (Endorsed Rand Paul)
- Mike Garcia, MC for Santa Clarita, CA (Endorsed Rand Paul)
- Adam Kinzinger, MC for Sabath, IL (Endorsed Nikki Haley)
- Pat Toomey, MC for McKenna, PA (Endorsed Charlie Dent)
Order of votes
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618 votes from among the Democratic-Republican Congressional Caucus 310 votes needed to win | |||||||||||||
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On December 1, 2021, Mitt Romney was removed as Opposition Leader by a 378-240 vote.
In accordance with party rules, the first balloting for a replacement occurs on December 7, 2021.
First Balloting
Italics indicate the last-placing candidate after each ballot. A balloting refers to a day on which as many as three ballots are undertaken, the maximum allowable by the DRP Charter.
Democratic Republican leadership election 2021, Ballot 1 | |||
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Candidate | Votes | % | |
Nikki Haley | 214 | 34.62 | |
Rand Paul | 118 | 19.09 | |
Josh Hawley | 116 | 18.77 | |
Charlie Dent | 86 | 13.91 | |
Lisa Murkowski | 50 | 8.09 | |
Asa Hutchinson | 34 | 5.50 |
Democratic Republican leadership election 2021, Ballot 2 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Votes | % | |
Nikki Haley | 224 | 36.24 | |
Josh Hawley | 126 | 20.39 | |
Rand Paul | 125 | 20.23 | |
Charlie Dent | 89 | 14.40 | |
Lisa Murkowski | 54 | 8.74 |
Democratic Republican leadership election 2021, Ballot 3 | |||
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Candidate | Votes | % | |
Nikki Haley | 300 | 48.54 | |
Josh Hawley | 165 | 26.70 | |
Rand Paul | 135 | 21.84 |
Second Balloting
As per Democratic Republican Party rules, a maximum of three ballots can be held, on any given day, seven days apart. Hence, the Second Balloting occurred on December 14, 2021 as neither Josh Hawley or Nikki Haley were prepared to withdraw.
Democratic Republican leadership election 2021, Ballot 3 | |||
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Candidate | Votes | % | |
Nikki Haley | 364 | 58.90 | |
Josh Hawley | 254 | 41.10 |