Trump-backed RNC Chair Michael Whatley jumps into North Carolina's Senate race as Lara Trump declines to run, creating a battle for one of 2026's competitive seats.

Michael Whatley, chairman of the national Republican Party, plans to run for an open Senate seat in North Carolina in 2026, with the blessing of President Donald Trump, after Trump’s daughter-in-law,

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley will run for Senate in North Carolina. Whatley will be in a highly competitive and likely expensive race to replace Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who announced his retirement earlier this year.

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.