Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley is expected to launch a campaign for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina, in what could become a hotly contested race, according to a Politico report.
Whatley's opposition is predicted to be the former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper who would represent the Democrat Party.
North Carolina can be described as a "purple state," due to the state's political composition that has a strong mix of Republicans and Democrats. Many voters in North Carolina have abandoned political party affiliation; unaffiliated voters outnumber party-based voters in North Carolina, according to a 2025 report.
Lara Trump, who co-chaired the RNC alongside Whatley last year, publicly announced that she would not be running for the Senatorial seat in her birth state of North Carolina. Trump, the daughter-in-law of President Donald Trump, currently hosts a Fox News show called "My View."
"I am deeply grateful for the encouragement and support I have received from the people of my home state whom I love so much," said Trump 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."
After much consideration and heartfelt discussions with my family, friends, and supporters, I have decided not to pursue the United States Senate seat in North Carolina at this time.
— Lara Trump (@LaraLeaTrump) July 24, 2025
I am deeply grateful for the encouragement and support I have received from the people of my… pic.twitter.com/zL3I8fFzO6
Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) currently holds the seat and has since 2015. He was originally seeking reelection but announced in June that he would be ending his campaign and retiring at the end of this term. Tillis's abrupt announcement happened after he voted against President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" which brought severe backlash from the president and many in the party.
Both President Trump and Lara Trump are expected to endorse Whatley after he officially kicks off his campaign in the next two weeks, according to Politico.