RNC boss Michael Whatley to jump in NC Senate race after Lara Trump passes

Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley is expected to jump into the North Carolina Senate race after Lara Trump once again decided to pass on a run, according to a report.

Whatley, who has helmed the RNC since March of last year, is poised to face off against former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D), who is rumored to kick off his campaign within the coming days for what is expected to be a bruising contest, Politico reported.

Democrats widely view North Carolina’s Senate contest as one of their best pickup opportunities in the 2026 cycle after Sen. Susan Collins’ (R-Maine) seat.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who currently holds the seat, announced late last month that he won’t be seeking reelection following a high-profile clash with Trump over his opposition to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Tillis has held that seat since 2015.

Speculation quickly swirled that Lara Trump, who was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, was weighing a potential Senate bid.

Trump’s daughter-in-law had served with Whatley on the RNC as the party’s co-chair from March of last year until January.

Lara Trump publicly confirmed on Thursday that she decided to pass on a run for the North Carolina Senate seat after having “heartfelt discussions with my family, friends, and supporters.”

“I am deeply grateful for the encouragement and support I have received from the people of my home state whom I love so much,” she said on X.

“While I am not running in this election, my passion for Making America Great Again burns brightly, and I look forward to the future, wherever that leads.”

Lara Trump, who is married to Eric Trump, previously passed on a chance to run for the Old North Star State Senate seat in 2022, which is now held by Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC), and the Florida Senate seat that opened up after her father-in-law tapped Marco Rubio as secretary of state.

She currently hosts an eponymous “My View” Fox News show, where she’s interviewed party bigwigs such as her father-in-law, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, and others.

Prior to succeeding Ronna McDaniel as the RNC chair, Whatley had chaired the North Carolina Republican Party from 2019 to 2024. During that time, he won favor with Trump by backing efforts to contest the 2020 election results.

Behind the scenes, Republicans have scrambled to find a strong contender to defend the open North Carolina Senate seat.

While Trump won the Old North Star State last November, the GOP was clobbered in the gubernatorial race after Republican Mark Robinson dealt with a litany of scandals, such as alleged resurfaced postings made on pornography forum, Nude Africa.

Since January, the National Republican Senatorial Committee had been quietly floating Whatley as a potential contender to replace Tillis, a GOP operative told The Post.

NRSC Chairman Tim Scott, who hails from South Carolina, personally met with Whatley about the issue and internal polling indicated that a Trump-aligned Republican would have the best prospects of winning, the operative said.

Republicans, who currently have a 53–47 seat majority, will have to defend 22 of the 35 seats in the upper chamber up for grabs in 2026.

Historically, the party in the White House faces headwinds in midterm elections, but that hasn’t always been the case for Senate races.