Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley is expected to run for the Senate in North Carolina, setting up a marquee race in next year’s midterms, two sources familiar with Whatley’s plans tell CNN.
He will enter the race with President Donald Trump’s backing, one of the sources says, after Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, opted against running for the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.
A North Carolina Republican consultant who has worked to set up Whatley’s campaign told CNN on Thursday that a formal announcement is expected to come “in the next week to 10 days.” Politico first reported Whatley’s plans.
The RNC chairman’s entry sets the stage for what’s likely to be one of the best-funded, highest-profile Senate races on the 2026 midterm calendar. Former Gov. Roy Cooper, a popular Democrat who was term-limited after eight years and left office at the end of 2024, also plans to announce a Senate run in the coming days, sources told CNN.
Lara Trump plans to remain in her in role as host of a weekly Fox News show and will also appear alongside Whatley at upcoming political events, a source said.
“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 in a post 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.”
The clash in North Carolina comes as Democrats, who need to flip four Senate seats to claim the majority, look for opportunities to make races for Republican-held seats competitive on an unforgiving map in which North Carolina could be the only true toss-up.
Democrats’ Senate hopes of flipping GOP-held seats elsewhere could hinge on retirement and recruiting questions. In Maine, five-term Sen. Susan Collins has beaten back stiff Democratic challenges in the past. In Texas, Sen. John Cornyn faces a primary challenge from state Attorney General Ken Paxton, a scandal-plagued conservative firebrand who Democrats view as a much weaker general election candidate. In Iowa, Sen. Joni Ernst has not yet announced her reelection plans, though Republicans have several strong potential replacements if she opts out. In Ohio, Democrats hope former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who narrowly lost his seat in 2024, will attempt a comeback — this time challenging Republican Sen. Jon Husted.
Democrats must also defend Senate seats in several swing states, including Georgia, where Sen. Jon Ossoff is seeking reelection and open seats in Michigan and New Hampshire.
Whatley previously spent five years as chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party and the RNC’s general counsel. He took the helm of the national party in 2024 after Trump’s tensions with former RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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