Trump endorses Romney niece Ronna Romney McDaniel for RNC chair

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday endorsed a niece of former critic Mitt Romney to be the next chair of the Republican National Committee as he moved to put his stamp on the party leadership.

The RNC named Michigan Republican Party chair Ronna Romney McDaniel as its deputy chair, and Trump said he looked forward to her taking over the party leadership.

Trump's incoming White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus, will leave the RNC chairmanship when Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

“I’m excited to have a highly effective leader in Ronna McDaniel as RNC deputy chair and I look forward to her serving as the party’s chairman in 2017,” Trump said in a statement.

"Ronna has been extremely loyal to our movement and her efforts were critical to our tremendous victory in Michigan, and I know she will bring the same passion to the Republican National Committee," he added.

The RNC's 168 elected members will convene in January to elect their next chairman and Trump's endorsement of McDaniel will likely carry enough weight to get her elected.

McDaniel's profile rose in Trump's view when she helped him win Michigan in the Nov. 8 election. The state had not voted Republican in a presidential election since 1988 and was critical to Trump's victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Her selection came two days after Trump passed over Mitt Romney to be his secretary of state, instead choosing Exxon Mobil Corp Chief Executive Rex Tillerson. Trump and Romney have gotten past their frictions during the Republican presidential nominating battle when the 2012 Republican nominee was critical of Trump's candidacy.

Bob Paduchik, a veteran Republican operative in Ohio who was Trump's campaign manager in that state, was named deputy co-chair of the RNC. Trump's victory in Ohio was also crucial to his victory.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Peter Cooney)