RNC Chair Whatley To Run For North Carolina Senate Seat

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Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Michael Whatley is planning to run for Senate in North Carolina to succeed retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R), a source familiar confirmed to The Hill. 

The source said Whatley will run with President Trump’s blessing for the seat. Politico first reported the news. The development comes after former RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, was openly considering a bid for the seat. Politico reported that she has decided against a run.

Whatley’s candidacy tees up one of the marquee Senate races of the midterms, as former Gov. Roy Cooper (D) reportedly plans to jump in next week. The Cook Political Report currently rates the seat as a “toss up.”

The news that Whatley will pursue the seat comes a month after news broke that President Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, was considering entering the race.

A source confirmed to The Hill that Trump, who is married to Eric Trump, the president’s third child, was weighing her options in the wake of Tillis’s announcement Sunday. NOTUS first reported she was “seriously considering” a bid.

She was previously floated as a potential Senate candidate when former Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) retired in 2023. However, she opted not to launch a campaign for the seat, leaving the door open to a future run for office.

Lara Trump served as a co-chair of the RNC during the 2024 campaign, with a focus on fundraising efforts. She stepped down from that position and earlier this year began hosting a weekend show on Fox News.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

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