In a shocking turn of events, the Michigan Republican Party is experiencing a deepening divide, leading to the potential removal of its chair, Kristina Karamo. A breakaway faction of the party's state committee gathered in a closed-door meeting, voting 40 to 5 through a secret ballot to oust Karamo from her position. However, Karamo and her supporters argue that the meeting and the methods used to achieve a quorum violated party bylaws.

The decision marks a significant downfall for Karamo, who was elected as the chair less than a year ago with the promise of uniting the party after major losses in the 2022 election. Karamo had stated her intention to bring together various factions within the party, but the reality has been quite different. Under her leadership, the party has instead witnessed increased infighting, hampering its ability to fundraise and organize effectively in preparation for the upcoming critical election year.

Critics and former Karamo supporters have emerged, referring to her as a traitor, saboteur, and accusing her of damaging the party. Despite mounting pressure, Karamo remains defiant, vowing to never resign from her position. The effort to remove her gained traction following the underwhelming Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference, which experienced limited attendance and fundraising success.

One notable moment was in early December, when a majority of the party's state committee members skipped a virtual meeting called by Karamo and instead attended a gathering organized by dissatisfied party leaders. Recently, eight out of the thirteen congressional district Republican party chairs also called on her to step down.

Warren Carpenter, an Oakland County Republican who initially supported Karamo but became a leading critic, spearheaded the push to remove her. The party released a press release labeling the meeting as "unauthorized" and a "deceptive attempt to manipulate Republicans," urging state committee members not to attend. However, this may have inadvertently worked in favor of the anti-Karamo faction, as those in attendance appointed themselves as proxies for members who chose not to participate.

Curiously, it is unclear why the vote total was considerably lower than the party's total state committee membership, which exceeds 100 members. The meeting also resulted in the removal of the party's general counsel and close ally of Karamo, Dan Hartman, by a wider margin. According to the bylaws, co-chair Malinda Pego will serve as the acting chair until a new vote is conducted.

Karamo has intriguingly labeled those pushing for her removal as part of "the uniparty," a term insinuating a conspiracy by elitists who seek to maintain the status quo. The internal strife within the Michigan Republican Party continues to unfold, raising questions about the party's ability to unite and strategize effectively for future elections.