Michigan GOP Chair Kristina Karamo was removed by her GOP colleagues on Saturday in a huge majority vote, but Karamo has not accepted the results and vowed to fight the ouster.

Karamo refused to resign after leaders called for her to do so last month.

She did not attend the meeting where the vote to oust her was taken, and said that it was illegally organized and not official.

Karamo was endorsed by former President Donald Trump for Secretary of State in 2022, but lost that seat by 14 points. She has so far refused to concede that race as well as questioning the results in 2020.

Infighting a problem

The infighting in the state GOP could hamper efforts to rebound from losses in 2022 and flip a Senate seat in 2024.

Michigan is among several states where the GOP is led by the far-right; others include Georgia and Arizona.

The larger divide between far-right conservatives and moderates has threatened to tear these state committees apart at a time when unity is sorely needed.

Some supporters of Karamo gathered outside the meeting site but were not allowed to enter.

State GOP Committee member on policy Barry Doherty said he was not allowed into the meeting and declared that any actions taken during it would not be official.

“We’re here to let people know — other state committee members know — that next week is the meeting that is official that business is conducted and they can bring their grievances to that meeting,” Doherty said.

"Good progress"

“I’m concerned that the people on the inside don’t see that and that good progress that is happening,” he said.

Karamo was made chair in February along with co-chair Melinda Pego, but Pego has now signed on to a petition to remove Karamo.

8 of 13 district chairs have called for her to resign, but the official process includes at least half of the nearly 100 state committee members petitioning for her removal. So far, 39 have signed a petition.

After the petition was presented, 60% of attending committee members would have to approve the removal (normally 75% but a resolution passed on Saturday lowered the number.