Jason Simmons narrowly won reelection. Can the NCGOP chairman keep a fractured party together?

In an interview, NCGOP Chairman Jason Simmons reflected on the 2024 election, his successful reelection this month and his approach for the upcoming midterms.

NCGOP Chairman Jason Simmons addresses reporters at a news conference in Raleigh on Nov. 6, 2024.

When Republicans gathered at their annual convention in Greensboro this month, there was much internal debate about the direction the party should take.

Should they reelect a Trump-endorsed, establishment party leader or bring a fresh face who could appeal to a more boisterous grassroots base?

In the end, NCGOP Chairman Jason Simmons defeated former congressional candidate Brooke McGowan by 5 percentage points. It was a narrow victory for a man who had high-profile endorsements and was competing against someone who finished a distant third in last year’s 10th Congressional District primary.

The tight vote for party chair reflected serious divides within the GOP and leaves Simmons walking a political tightrope of keeping an enthusiastic base of hardline conservatives energized and not alienating more ideologically centrist Republicans who fear the party could be losing its influence with unaffiliated voters.

I spoke with Simmons on Monday to get his takeaways from the 2024 election, what his narrow victory means and the role he sees the NCGOP playing ahead of the 2026 primaries.

This Q&A has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity:

Q: You were reelected by 5 percentage points over someone who finished a very distant third in a congressional primary last year. What did you make of it being as close as it was?

A: It was always going to be a very close election. When you go into conventions, there’s a lot of conversations about where our party wants to go and how we want to position ourselves. Obviously there's a lot of debate around that. I’m grateful for Brooke and her supporters and look forward to working with Brooke and those that supported her as we come together as a party to make sure that we position ourselves for victories in November.

Q: Would you have won your reelection had it not been for Trump endorsing you?

A: President Trump was one factor. At the end of the day, it's up to the voters that showed up to the convention.

Q: In the 2024 election, Republicans suffered the biggest gubernatorial defeat since 1980, ended a streak of 17 consecutive statewide judicial victories, and lost the supermajority in the House. How do you plan to turn things around?