Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Michael Whatley will launch a bid for U.S. Senate, a source confirmed to the Daily
Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Michael Whatley will launch a bid for U.S. Senate, a source confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Whatley, who was among a cohort of potential candidates mulling bids to replace retiring Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, will enter the 2026 North Carolina Senate race with President Trump’s support, according to Politico, which first reported Whatley’s bid. The president’s endorsement of the RNC chairman will likely avoid a contested primary and give Republicans a boost to defeat former Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper in a showdown that could be the most expensive race of the midterms.
Whatley’s entry into the race follows the president’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, reportedly passing on a run. The president previously stated he would support Lara Trump, who co-chaired the RNC with Whatley during the 2024 cycle, if she had decided to seek the seat.
Whatley will face Cooper, a two-term governor, who left office in January.
