LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Former Michigan Secretary of State candidate Kristina Karamo announced her bid to be the next state GOP chair on Tuesday night.

Karamo, who lost her bid to unseat Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, announced she would be running with Malinda Pego as her co-chair.

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“[Malinda and I] are the definition of mama bears, who will not back down in the face of evil that threatens all our children,” Karamo wrote. “We will make the Republican party a powerful force for freedom. We will reinvigorate disillusioned activist (sic) and donors who have walked away from the party.”

Pago is a Muskegon County commissioner and, according to her Facebook page, the current chair of the Muskegon County Republican Party.

Karamo is not the first Republican who lost in 2022 who is looking to kick-start the party. Former Attorney General candidate Matt DePerno, who lost to Dana Nessel, and former gubernatorial candidate Garrett Soldano, who lost to Tudor Dixon in the Aug. 2 primary, announced their bid for co-chairs. In addition, after her loss to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Nov. 8, Dixon said the Michigan GOP did everything it could to malign her campaign. She said she is considering a run for co-chair, but told Michigan News Source she has not made a decision regarding a run.

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Former Congressman and Ambassador to the Netherlands under former President Donald Trump Pete Hoekstra told Michigan News Source he would make a decision about whether he would run for Michigan GOP chair in the next few weeks.

Michigan’s embattled GOP is currently chaired by Ron Weiser, who said he will not run again, and Meshawn Maddock.