Jim Runestad, of White Lake Township, defeated Trump's endorsed candidate, Meshawn Maddock, of Milford, on the second ballot at Huntington Place, taking close to 63% of the votes cast by about 1,900 delegates.

Runestad's larger-than-expected margin of victory pointed to the lingering power of the anti-establishment wing of the Republican Party in Michigan.

With Trump as president, the state GOP is free to go after its immediate needs and refocus on building a structure to win in 2026. That's the work Pete Hoekstra began when he took over the party last year from ousted Chair Kristina Karamo.

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On Saturday, both the Michigan Republicans and Democratic parties chose new leaders and discussed their goals for the next year. “I mean right now the biggest goal is to take back the state in 2026,” said Hima Kolanagireddy,