Joseph Cella ’91 and his running mate, Jessica Barefield, earned 23% of delegates. Courtesy | Mindi Tietz
An endorsement from Hillsdale alumnus Joseph Cella ’91 lifted State Sen. Jim Runestad to victory at the Michigan Republican Party convention contest for chairman Feb. 22 in Detroit.
“He values the importance of being a bridge-builder and a sense of unity,” Cella told The Collegian. “He will focus on raising the money and getting the candidates elected in a laser-like fashion, and I cannot say the same at all for our former opponent.”
Former party co-chair Meshawn Maddock was endorsed by President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post the day before the convention. But after Cella earned 23% of the vote in the first round, he dropped out and endorsed Runestad, R-White Lake, who received 46%. With Cella’s support, Runestad won the next round of voting with 63% of the delegates. Maddock garnered 37%.
“Unfortunately, President Trump has been getting bad advice in Michigan in recent years,” Cella said in a Facebook post. “This is certainly another case of that.”
Hillsdale County Republican chairman Brent Leininger said last week most Hillsdale delegates would support Cella, and College President Larry Arnn endorsed Cella for chairman.
“Joe Cella is a splendid man, citizen, husband, father, and Republican,” Arnn said in a statement. “He will be a faithful and effective state chairman. Michigan needs him. I urge you to support him.”
After serving as ambassador to Fiji in the first Trump administration, Cella returned to Michigan and worked with current Michigan Republican Chairman Pete Hoekstra — a former ambassador to the Netherlands and Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Canada — to block a China-based company’s construction of an electric vehicle battery plant in Big Rapids, Michigan, which the two former ambassadors said posed a national security threat.
Cella received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from Hillsdale College in 2023 for Outstanding Professional Achievement in American Diplomacy. His eldest daughter is a sophomore at the college, and another will attend in the fall.
The party’s leadership and finances were in shambles a little over a year ago after lackluster fundraising by party chairwoman Kristina Karamo left the state party strapped for cash and deep in debt, according to the Detroit News.
Cella said he may serve in an informal advisory role for the party. As Runestad takes over, Cella said he hopes his leadership would help the party overcome past infighting.
“It is one step further past that highly-visible, highly-charged tumult, chaos, and drama that I hope and pray does not return,” Cella said.
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