LANSING – Republican National Committeewoman Ronna Romney McDaniel wasted no time in declaring her bid to succeed departing Party Chair Bobby Schostak, and now the question is who in the party has the cachet and support to defeat McDaniel.

That McDaniel cuts so formidable a profile is a credit both to the power of her name as a grand-daughter of former Governor George Romney, daughter of Scott and Ronna Romney and niece of 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney as well as her efforts in 2014 on behalf of Republican candidates across the state.

McDaniel burst onto the state political scene in 2012, serving as a campaign surrogate for her uncle in Michigan during his presidential campaign. Then in early 2014, when then-Republican National Committeewoman Terri Land resigned her post to focus on her U.S. Senate bid, McDaniel easily won a vote of the Michigan Republican State Committee to succeed her.

Besides going across the state to aid GOP candidates, McDaniel has managed to maintain good relations with the tea party wing of the GOP even though she comes out of the establishment wing of the party. And as she announced the endorsements of Sen. Patrick Colbeck (R-Canton Township), a staunch tea party legislator, and 18 county Republican Party chairs Monday, there were signs of that dynamic.

McDaniel has the endorsement of controversial Antrim County Republican Party Chair “Trucker” Randy Bishop. But she also has establishment backing from chairs such as Kent County Chair John Inhulsen, Oakland Chair Theresa Mungioli and the chairs of the Wayne 11th and 12th U.S. House District parties and Ingham Chair Yvonne Whitbeck.

Also endorsing McDaniel were the chairs of the following county parties: Allegan, Baraga, Bay, Crawford, Genesee, Gladwin, Iron, Otsego, Saginaw, Shiawassee and Wayne.

“County parties are the lifeblood of the grassroots, and I am proud to announce these leaders as my supporters,” McDaniel said in an email. “They come from counties across Michigan – large and small. They know I am someone who listens and will want everyone to have a seat at the table for a broad-based discussion on how to make the Republican Party better.”

McDaniel did not return a message seeking comment.