Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley officially launched his campaign Thursday for the North Carolina Senate seat currently held by retiring GOP Senator Thom Tillis, setting up a high-stakes battle in the crucial battleground state.
Whatley announced his candidacy on social media with a message to North Carolina voters.
“I’m excited to announce my campaign for the U.S. Senate to represent the great state of North Carolina! I am humbled and excited to begin this campaign, and I would be honored to earn your vote, your support, and your prayers. Let’s get to work,” Whatley wrote on X.
The announcement comes with the endorsement of President Donald Trump, who threw his support behind Whatley last week.
“Mike would make an unbelievable Senator from North Carolina,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He is fantastic at everything he does, and he was certainly great at the RNC where, in the Presidential Election, we won every Swing State, the Popular Vote, and the Electoral College by a landslide!”
Trump also praised Whatley’s conservative credentials.
“He is STRONG on the Border, stopping Crime, supporting our Military/Veterans, cutting Taxes, and saving our always under siege Second Amendment. I need him in Washington, and I need him representing YOU!”
Whatley’s decision to enter the race came after Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, passed on a possible bid for the seat.
As part of the transition, Trump simultaneously announced his support for Florida state Senator Joe Gruters to take Whatley’s position at the RNC, where Gruters currently serves as treasurer.
Whatley will face former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, who announced his own campaign last month with a message that emphasized his deliberative approach.
“I have thought on it and prayed about it, and I have decided: I am running to be the next U.S. Senator from North Carolina,” Cooper posted on X.
The matchup promises to be one of the most expensive and closely watched Senate races of the 2026 midterm elections.
I’m excited to announce my campaign for the U.S. Senate to represent the great state of North Carolina!
I am humbled and excited to begin this campaign, and I would be honored to earn your vote, your support, and your prayers.
Let’s get to work. 🇺🇸https://t.co/PA8TuFPwCL… pic.twitter.com/KdhRd5ni5E
— Michael Whatley (@ChairmanWhatley) July 31, 2025