The dispute over who will lead the Fresno County Republican Party has come to an end.
The California Republican Party unanimously confirmed that Liz Kolstad will remain on as the Chair of Fresno County GOP.
The backstory: Last month the Fresno County Republican Party found itself mired in controversy when two people claimed to have the votes to be the party’s Chair.
- Kolstad won reelection as the party chair at a meeting on Jan. 7.
- But Peter Halajian and others met at a Denny’s following Kolstad’s election to hold a meeting of their own and include two other members that they claimed were barred from the first meeting. Halajian claimed that he was elected with more votes at the Denny’s meeting.
The big picture: The Fresno County Republican Party announced on Friday that Kolstad was confirmed as the party chair by the California Republican Party.
- That puts an end to the claim from Halajian, who had submitted to the state GOP that he was actually the county chair and had asked the state party to recognize him.
- Kolstad now controls the delegates for the California Republican Party’s spring convention, scheduled for next month in Sacramento.
What she’s saying: “We are thrilled that the California Republican Party unanimously rejected the assertions of the fake and phony executive board and awarded these delegates to us,” Kolstad said. “The FCRP is ready to roll up our sleeves to ensure that economic prosperity, limited state intervention in our lives, homelessness, and personal freedom remain at the forefront of the political conversation. This is a major step toward securing victories in 2026, and beyond. We look forward to all committee members participating in our vision.”
