Esser, a former state senator from Bellevue and a longtime party activist, defeated incumbent Diane Tebelius by a vote of 71-43.

"The first step towards recovering from our defeat in 2006 is recognizing that we have a problem, and today we did that," said Esser.

"Though we face difficult times I'm confident we will rebound. The Republican Party is overflowing with ideas for making Washington more prosperous and secure."

The Republican Party also elected Olga Miller, who has served seven terms as a state committeewoman from Lewis County, as its new vice chairwomen. State party rules require the vice chair to be a woman if the chairman is a man.

Tebelius was elected chairwoman last winter after veteran Chairman Chris Vance resigned to become a public affairs consultant.

She defeated a hand-picked candidate backed by the party's gubernatorial contender, Dino Rossi, and other party leaders.