Later this morning, RNC members here at a five-star resort on the
Pacific Ocean will pile into a private conference room and elect the
organization’s next chair after a weekslong, bitter campaign pitting
incumbent Ronna McDaniel against top challenger Harmeet Dhillon.

While McDaniel remains the favorite, Dhillon’s team has been working
overtime since they arrived, and there are unmistakable signs she’s made
headway. Just days ago, she had fewer than 30 of the 168 RNC members
publicly endorsing her compared to more than 100 who had backed McDaniel
in an open letter after the midterms.

The race’s new fluidity comes as members wrangle with one big question
in increasingly urgent tones: What does this race say about Donald
Trump's hold on the GOP?

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