Michael Whatley, a North Carolina native, is leaving his role as chairman of the Republican National Committee to run for Senate. He previously led the state’s Republican Party before Trump picked him to lead the national committee in 2024.

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 chair Michael Whatley is expected to jump into the North Carolina Senate race after Lara Trump once again decided to pass on a run.

President Donald Trump has picked the candidate he’s supporting to fill North Carolina’s open Senate seat in the 2026 election: Michael Whatley. Whatley is a North Carolina native who served as head of the state’s Republican Party before Trump selected him in 2024 as chairman of the Republican National Committee.