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How Carly Fiorina Could Chair The RNC

by Melissa Cruz

In the last several weeks, there has been an increasing number of GOP officials who want, or at least now expect, Republican nominee Donald Trump to lose the general election to his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Many have cited his incendiary comments as reason enough to buck their party's nominee altogether. But Carly Fiorina is focused on Donald Trump for a different reason: She wants to become the new chair of the Republican National Committee, and Trump could be her main obstacle to achieving that.

The former CEO and 2016 presidential candidate has been on the hunt for her next gig since her notoriously short-lived tenure as Ted Cruz's running mate this past May, Time reported. (Who wouldn't want to put that dreadful hand-holding behind them?) Since then, Fiorina and her team have kept up with a loaded travel schedule, moving from state to state under the premise of aiding vulnerable down-ballot Republicans. But that hasn't stopped her from also reaching out to more than a dozen state parties in the past weeks, presumably laying out the groundwork for a bid to the RNC chairmanship. Reportedly, she has offered to help them in "any way" that she can, asking to connect with their respective party chairperson, according to Time.

But how does Trump affect her chances of taking incumbent RNC Chairman Reince Priebus' spot?

Darren Hauck/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Bustle reached out to Fiorina's campaign to confirm whether she is hoping to run for the RNC chairperson position, but they declined to comment. Nevertheless, the former candidate's alleged plot to the RNC chairmanship would see one major bump in the road should Trump win the election. Trump doesn't like Fiorina, and as custom dictates, the RNC would allow him to choose the next chair. Trump's choice would likely not come down to Fiorina. When she was still campaigning, the candidates were particularly critical of one another, and in addition to her run with Cruz, Fiorina has declined to officially endorse the Republican nominee.

It would not necessarily be ill-advised for Trump to pick her, however. Fiorina's bid to become the next chair of the RNC would come at a time when the Republican Party continues to see declining numbers of women supporters. Placing Fiorina as the effective face of the party could help draw women voters back into their ranks. If Trump loses and the choice is left open, she could likewise serve as the conservative antithesis to the new president Clinton.

So along with a growing list of Republicans wanting to see Trump lose the election for personal reasons, Fiorina also has concerns about Trump, though her primary reason, of course, is based not around some moral cause, but a professional one. After all, her next job could depend on him.