2021 Democratic Republican leadership election

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2021 Democratic-Republican Party leadership election
← 2020 December 1-14, 2021

618 votes from among the Democratic-Republican Congressional Caucus
310 votes needed to win
  Nikki Haley official photo.jpg Josh Hawley, official portrait, 116th congress.jpg Rand Paul, official portrait, 112th Congress alternate.jpg
Candidate Nikki Haley Josh Hawley Rand Paul
Ballot 1 214 116 118
Ballot 2 224 126 125
Ballot 3 300 165 135
Final Ballot 364 254
Outcome Elected Defeated Defeated

  Charlie Dent official photo.jpg Lisa Murkowski official photo.jpg Asa Hutchinson crop.jpg
Candidate Charlie Dent Lisa Murkowski Asa Hutchinson
Ballot 1 86 50 34
Ballot 2 89 54
Outcome Withdrew Defeated Defeated

Leader before election

Mitt Romney

Elected Leader

Nikki Haley

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

2021 Democratic-Republican Party leadership election
← 2020 December 1, 2021

618 votes from among the Democratic-Republican Congressional Caucus
310 votes needed to win
  Mitt Romney official US Senate portrait (cropped and rotated).jpg
Candidate No Confidence Mitt Romney
Votes 378 240
Percentage 61.16% 38.84

Incumbent Leader

Mitt Romney



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
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
  Increase Josh Hawley 126 20.39
  Decrease Rand Paul 125 20.23
  Charlie Dent 89 14.40
  Lisa Murkowski 54 8.74
Democratic Republican leadership election 2021, Ballot 3
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
Candidate Votes %
  Nikki Haley 364 58.90
  Josh Hawley 254 41.10