GOP Chair Michael Whatley officially announces run for US Senate in North Carolina

GASTONIA, N.C. (WNCN) – Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley has formally announced that he’s entering the U.S. Senate race in North Carolina.

He unveiled his plans during a media event in Gastonia on Thursday afternoon, filing his official paperwork with the Federal Election Commission one day prior.

This comes less than a week after former North Carolina governor Roy Cooper confirmed his intentions to launch his own campaign to fill the seat currently held by Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from Huntersville who announced last month that he’s not going to seek a third term.

Tillis’ decision propels his seat as one of the most captivating races to follow during the 2026 midterm elections.

Aside from Whatley and Cooper, other names have been speculated as possible candidates for both the Republican and Democratic parties, including former RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of President Donald Trump.

However, Trump ultimately chose not to enter the race, confirming her decision in a social media post last week.

“I am deeply grateful for the encouragement and support I have received from the people of my home state whom I love so much,” she said 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.”

In a post on Truth Social last week, President Trump voiced his support for Whatley, referring to him as “one of the most capable executives in our country.”

“I am sending this statement out for a very good reason. Mike [Whatley] would make an unbelievable Senator from North Carolina,” Trump wrote. “He is fantastic at everything he does[…] I have a mission for my friends in North Carolina, and that is to get Michael Whatley to run for the U.S. Senate.”

“So, should Michael Whatley run for the Senate, please let this notification represent my complete and total endorsement,” he added.

For several months, Democrat and former U.S. congressman Wiley Nickel had also considered the idea of throwing his name into the race, but he elected to drop out and pledge his support for Cooper.

“We started this campaign to send Thom Tillis packing. Well, mission accomplished I guess!” said Nickel, who officially launched his candidacy for the 2026 U.S. Senate race in April.

“It was an honor to work alongside Governor Cooper in the State Senate and in Congress,” Nickel said in his endorsement for Cooper earlier this week. “I’ve seen firsthand his steady, bipartisan leadership. He listens, he shows up, and he gets things done. From making North Carolina the top state for business to guiding our communities through natural disasters, his leadership has made a real difference. And for so many of us, including me, he’s been an inspiration to step up and serve. I proudly endorse Governor Cooper for U.S. Senate and look forward to doing everything I can to help him flip this Senate seat from red to blue.”

CBS 17 spoke with North Carolina representatives Richard Hudson and Deborah Ross on Wednesday about Cooper and his decision to launch his senatorial campaign.

“He brought us through some of the darkest hours in this state; COVID, through disasters and he understands how important it is to take care of your neighbor,” said Ross, a Democratic representative out of Wake County. “Particularly when they’re food insecure, housing insecure, they’ve suffered a natural disaster.”

“I think he’s too radical for the state,” said Hudson, a Republican representing Cumberland, Moore and Hoke counties. “I’m not sure anyone’s ever held him accountable, but I think he’ll be held accountable in this campaign.”