July 23, 2025, 11:45 a.m.
Former RNC co-chair Lara Trump is on the cusp of becoming the second Trump to pursue elected office, gifted with a runway to pursue the Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC).
Despite living with her family in Florida, the president’s daughter-in-law has the right of first refusal for the GOP nomination in her native state. RNC Chairman Michael Whatley, a former North Carolina GOP chair, said he and “the entire Republican universe” would back Lara Trump if she ran for the Senate; NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson, representing NC-09, ruled out a bid quickly; and Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC 10), regarded as a high-tier replacement for Tillis on the GOP ticket, said he would endorse Lara Trump if she entered the race.
“She’s been campaigning here a lot, dating back to 2015,” said Jonathan Felts, a campaign adviser to Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) in 2022. “She’s seen as a hometown girl. She’s not seen as an outsider.”
Lara Trump has been floated for various offices since her father-in-law’s 2016 election, passing on each one. A 2019 Club for Growth poll found her dominating the open 2020 NY-02 Republican primary while she lived with her husband, Eric Trump, in New York City. She was considered a contender for former North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr’s (R) seat in 2022, leading in early primary polls. Several Republicans, including Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R), pushed for her to be appointed to the Senate seat vacated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this year.
Carter Wrenn, a veteran North Carolina GOP consultant responsible for the elections of several Tar Heel State senators, told Hotline that Lara Trump’s relationship to the president, her political and fundraising connections, and her last name could help her lock up Republican support. He added that her last name could also burden her in a general election, especially if the 2026 midterms become a rebuke of the current administration.
“The fact that she’s a Trump is the problem because that’ll hurt her with independent voters and swing voters,” Wrenn said.
President Trump’s children, particularly former White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump and podcaster Donald Trump Jr., have been dubbed the likely heirs to his decadelong political career. That title could belong to his daughter-in-law instead if she finally runs for the Senate.
Lara Trump said she plans to decide if she’ll enter the race by Thanksgiving, but state law would require her to move back to North Carolina by late September in order to meet the 90-day party affiliation requirement before the December candidate filing deadline.
— Nicholas Anastácio
nanastacio@nationaljournal.com
