2 Nominees Challenge Republican Party Chair
Shnaekel and Herzl give their perspective on Party affairs
Dec 4, 2024
For the first time in many years the Republican Party of Arkansas has not one, but three candidates running for the Chairman’s seat. Since he was elected (installed?) in August, 2023 incumbent Joseph Wood has been facing some headwinds from within the State Committee, the Republican conclave that will vote on officers for the 2025-2026 term at its December 7 meeting.
Wood’s role in nullifying the 2024 State Convention has only escalated into more Party division and ultimately brought about two challengers to replace Wood in running the state Party.
Party Challengers
Challenging Wood are Mike Shnaekel of Malvern (Hot Spring County) and Margot Herzl (Searcy County), who both visited with Dave Elswick last week on his talk radio show.
A Republican Party member himself, Elswick began the interviews by explaining that he didn’t also ask Chairman Wood to come on because Wood “never answers my emails now, anyway.” (Could that be because Elswick is one of the Republican Convention delegate plaintiffs who have sued to get Wood and the Secretary of State to follow the Party’s own Rules and close the Republican primaries?)
Catch what Elswick says about who can “be replaced” at the end of this clip from that November 27 Show:
While in the studio, Shnaekel discussed several issues facing the Party, including the disconnect “between the RPA and … the ‘electors of Arkansas’ as well as the results of the last two State Conventions.”
He and Elswick talked about the positive “movement within the Republican Party of Arkansas” after the 2024 State Convention’s historic changes and what Arkansas Republicans can do to bring all the Party’s members together under the big tent the Party promises:
On the phone with Elswick, Herzl emphasized the enforcement of the Party Rules, saying “it is supposed to be the Chairman’s job to safeguard the Rules.” Like Schnaekel, she talked about the ongoing power struggle within the Party, as well as the RPA’s refusal to support closed primaries.
The State Committee holds its winter meeting (under the “old” RPA Rules) on Saturday, December 7, at the Robinson Center in Little Rock. See who’s running for the other two-year officer positions here.
God’s child, Arkansas conservatarian
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