The race to succeed Lawrence Tabas as chair of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania has a new contender.

Bill Bachenberg, Lehigh Valley businessman and prominent supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, has tossed his hat into the ring to challenge state Sen. Greg Rothman (R-Cumberland).

“Since the announcement of PAGOP Chairman candidate Ted Christian dropping out of the race, many Republican leaders, voters, grassroots supporters and donors are looking for a chairman who supports their values and beliefs,” said Bachenberg in a release. “They are looking for a chairman who believes in Integrity, Trust and Transparency and who has a strategic vision for the future with proven leadership that can unite all PA citizens together for a great Commonwealth.

“This grassroots campaign is self-funded and uncompromised – no consultants, no political endorsements, and no ulterior motives. I’m committed to bringing trust, transparency, and integrity to the Chairmanship, ensuring this is a movement for meaningful change, not a stepping stone for personal ambition.”

Rothman, 58, appeared to be the heir apparent to Tabas, after Christian announced he was dropping out of the race two weeks ago and endorsed the former Cumberland County GOP chair. He also received the backing of newly-elected Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick, as well as U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-09).

“Greg is a state senator, Marine, successful businessman, former State Representative, and former chair for the Cumberland County Republican Party, who has seen our state party through many different phases,” McCormick wrote. “He has the political savvy and relationships to sustain the progress we made this cycle and make Pennsylvania a powerhouse Republican state.”

Meuser, who is rumored to have gubernatorial aspirations, tweeted that Rothman, who he called a long-time friend and Republican stalwart, “will provide the leadership to take our PA GOP to even higher levels.”

But critics are calling out Rothman for having too much political baggage and his association with certain political committees calls into question his commitment to the GOP base.

Former Cumberland County commissioner Gary Eichelberger even wrote to McCormick, calling Rothman “a self-described ‘win-o-crat’ whose only goal is to climb the political ladder and enrich himself by latching on to rising stars, regardless of party or other label as long as they serve his purpose.”

Bachenberg, who also serves as the first vice president of the National Rifle Association (NRA), may also be looking to get his group back into the good graces of Trump.

Last month, Bachenberg, a Pennsylvania presidential elector for Trump in 2024, said in a letter to NRA members that the association needs to rebuild trust with Trump and his close associates.

“I can say for a fact that President Trump and his inner circle have lost faith in the NRA,” he wrote. “We have a tremendous amount of work to rebuild trust with them, just like our members and donors.”

According to the New York Times, one of Trump’s issues is the tens of millions of dollars that the NRA has paid William A. Brewer III, an attorney whose political donations “have favored Democrats over the years.”