Michigan Republican Party grassroots vice chair Chris Long is calling on delegates to replace Chairman Jim Runestad in 2027. Long accuses Runestad of shutting vice chairs out of major decisions and failing to explain how the party would raise money and turn out voters before the 2026 midterms. Runestad fired back in a Nov. 8 post on X, disputing Long’s account of a travel reimbursement request and mocking his finances and living arrangements.
The dispute erupted after Republicans lost Michigan’s two biggest statewide races by substantial margins. Democrat Jocelyn Benson defeated Republican John James for governor, 54.6% to 43.7%, and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers for U.S. Senate, 52.5% to 45.5%, with an estimated 98% of votes counted in both races. Runestad pointed to a national Democratic wave and promised plans to rebuild. Long says delegates should first ask how the state party prepared for the election it just lost.
Long says debt talk crowded out a fundraising strategy
Republican delegates elected Runestad, a state senator from White Lake, as chair in February 2025. He promoted his fundraising record and ran alongside Bernadette Smith as co-chair. Long contends that choosing Smith helped Runestad win support from delegates who had backed former Chair Kristina Karamo.
Long said the two spoke regularly after the convention and that their conversations repeatedly returned to the party’s debt. He disputed Runestad’s reported claim that the party had roughly $10,000 in the bank when he took over, arguing that state and federal campaign finance filings showed a more complicated financial picture.
Long described the debt as a balance on a revolving line of credit that earlier administrations used to cover expenses between elections. He argued that repeatedly telling county organizations and prospective donors the party was broke made fundraising harder. He wanted a pitch that explained how contributions would pay for volunteer recruitment and voter outreach. Long said Runestad never walked him through such a pitch or asked him to help develop one.
October campaign finance disclosures show the state party provided significant support to James late in the race. The Michigan GOP reported receiving $2 million from Michigan Victory 2026 on Oct. 14 and providing $1.8 million in television advertising to the James campaign two days later. James’ campaign reported raising $3.1 million from Aug. 25 through Oct. 18, excluding that in-kind support. Benson’s campaign reported raising $4.1 million over the same period. Long’s criticism concerns the broader fundraising and voter outreach strategy he says party officers were never shown.
Vice chairs learned about some hires through texts and emails, Long says
Long accused Runestad of making staffing and strategy decisions without involving the vice chairs. In some instances, he said, officers discovered someone had joined the staff when an unfamiliar number appeared in a group text or a new employee emailed to introduce themselves. He argued that officers expected to work with county organizations should have known whom the party was hiring and how those employees would support the campaign.
Long also said Runestad contacted him roughly every two weeks for about three months in the summer of 2025 to discuss a personal logo and letterhead. Long said he repeatedly suggested using the party’s existing logo. He cited those conversations as an example of what occupied the chairman’s time while he was still seeking answers about fundraising and turnout.
A private phone call became the breaking point
Long dates the collapse of their working relationship to Nov. 19, 2025, nearly a year before the general election. He said he asked Runestad what he was telling donors, how much time he spent calling them and what the party intended to do to turn out Republican voters. Long wanted the vice chairs to see the plan early enough to put it into practice with county organizations.
“We don’t have a plan. I don’t have a plan, Chris, because we need money so we can hire the person to write the plan,” Runestad said, according to Long’s account of the private call.
Long said he responded by telling Runestad to resign, using profanity. He said the chairman reacted angrily and the call effectively ended their working relationship. Runestad’s public replies focused on travel expenses and the party’s future. His account of the call remains unknown, as does when the party finalized a turnout plan.
Mileage dispute escalates into allegations about tires, hotels and pay
Long said he traveled around Michigan at his own expense to speak with county Republican organizations and recruit support while serving as an unpaid vice chair. He said Runestad denied his mileage request because the chairman had never directed him to attend those events. Long described mileage reimbursement as routine under previous administrations and said vice chairs once received a modest annual travel allowance.
Runestad gave a different account on X. He said Long wanted the party to pay for new tires, hotel stays and travel around Michigan. He also claimed Long lived in his mother’s basement. Long replied that he owns his home, lives three hours from his mother and never submitted a request for hotel reimbursement.
Long, in turn, alleged that Runestad accepted a party salary after saying he would forgo one because he already drew a salary as a state senator. He also questioned what the party paid for the chairman’s travel and tickets. The public exchange produced no payroll records, receipts or reimbursement approvals to resolve those claims. It left open what Long requested, what the party’s policy allowed and whether the same rules applied to all officers.
Runestad faults Republican candidates and House leadership
Runestad pointed to frustration over prices and the cost of living and said Republicans needed to regain support among younger voters. He also argued that some GOP candidates mishandled the debate over data centers. He questioned why James had waited to press Benson more forcefully over her ties to a proposed project in Saline Township. Runestad said a stronger approach might have narrowed the margin, though he doubted it would have reversed the result.
His criticism extended to Republican House Speaker Matt Hall. Runestad faulted Hall for blocking votes on bills that would have opened the governor’s office and Legislature to public records requests. In Runestad’s view, government transparency was an issue Michigan Republicans could have acted on themselves, even as voters blamed national leaders for rising costs.
Long had raised concerns about the governor’s race months before Election Day. In May, after James drew criticism over plans to skip a Republican debate in a swing county, Long urged him to drop out and predicted the party would likely lose in November if he won the nomination. After the election, Long warned that blaming losses on fraud could discourage Republicans from voting by convincing them their ballots would make no difference. He also said he had been told that White House advisers urged Republican candidates to avoid discussing affordability. That claim remains uncorroborated.
Delegates face a leadership decision in 2027
“Jim Runestad, this was your Super Bowl, and you got crushed,” Long wrote, dismissing the chairman’s emphasis on rebuilding for 2028. Runestad said Friday he was leaning toward seeking another two-year term.
Delegates weighing another term face questions about what happened before Election Day. When did the party set turnout targets? What voter lists, staff and money did county organizations receive? How early did party leaders know whether their outreach was reaching enough voters? Runestad has promised a plan for the next election. Long wants delegates to see what was in place for the last one.
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