Michigan Republicans face an uncertain future after ousting them from all branches of state government for the first time in 40 years. The favorites to become the state’s next GOP chairman are the 2022 losers who lost the race after closely following former President Donald Trump’s election conspiracy theories. Meanwhile, a sizable faction of Republican state lawmakers are eager to leave Trump, who is running for the White House again in 2024, and have encouraged Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to challenge him.

Another chaotic primary is brewing for the open race for Michigan Senate seats in 2024. The most likely GOP prospects represent a mix of these dueling factions within the party: moderate conservatives, whose antipathy toward Trump could make it difficult to secure the nomination, and election deniers loyal to Trump showing their strength in the general election. Limit. “When we let passion have its way, sometimes we forget who our competitors are,” said state Rep. Phil Green, one of 18 GOP legislators who in December signed a hand-delivered letter urging DeSantis to challenge Trump. “The fear is that we hurt ourselves in the process.” This division is not unique to Michigan. Republicans in other presidential battlegrounds, from Arizona to Pennsylvania, have struggled to balance the needs of their loyal Trump base with the broader support needed to win deeply divided states. But the returns have been particularly dismal in Michigan, where after Trump’s victory in 2016, the GOP seemed poised to assemble a decisive coalition of working-class voters.