The Republican National Committee on Friday unanimously elected Florida State Sen. Joe Gruters as its new chair during the party’s summer meeting in Atlanta. The 48-year-old accountant and former Florida GOP chair was the sole nominee and faced no opposition, cementing President Donald Trump’s influence over the national party apparatus. Gruters succeeds Michael Whatley, who resigned to pursue the open U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina. With Trump’s “complete and total” endorsement, Gruters is expected to steer party fundraising and field operations heading into the 2026 midterm elections while finishing his current term in the Florida Senate. He said he will formally suspend his previously announced campaign for state chief financial officer within the next week. Widely credited with helping flip Florida from a battleground to a solidly Republican state, Gruters has served as the RNC’s treasurer and co-chaired Trump’s 2016 Florida campaign. His elevation underscores Trump’s continued grip on the GOP as the party seeks to defend its congressional majorities and the White House next year.