The Republican Party is waiting to see if Lara Trump will run for the North Carolina Senate seat, following Senator Thom Tillis’s announcement that he won’t seek reelection. The decision has left other potential Republican candidates in a standstill, as they wait for former President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law to make her choice.
Lara Trump, Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law through her marriage to Eric Trump, who previously considered running for the Senate four years ago, is once again at a crucial point in her political career. Her potential candidacy has frozen the field for other Republicans, with many believing she has the first right to decide whether to run or not.
According to Politico, when she first thought about running in 2019, her father-in-law, Donald Trump, was one of her biggest supporters. “You should do it,” he told her, according to sources close to the family. However, she decided against running at that time because she had two young children, aged 1 and 3.
How Lara Trump’s decision affects other Republican candidates
Several Republicans are interested in the Senate seat, including Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley. However, Whatley and others are waiting to see what Lara Trump decides before making any moves. Sources say that potential candidates know they would be the second choice to the president’s daughter-in-law and wouldn’t try to get Trump’s support while she’s still considering running.
Lara Trump is a Trump without actually being Donald Trump. North Carolina is an R+2 state relative to the nation. Against a popular former governor, you would really want someone who can establish some separation from an unpopular president.
— Lakshya Jain (@lxeagle17) July 1, 2025
Currently, Lara Trump is getting many calls from interested parties, including Senators, encouraging her to run. However, some close to her doubt she will enter the race. She currently has a successful career with TV and podcast work, paid speeches, and involvement with the Trump Organization, which she would need to give up if she runs, having built considerable wealth through her political and media endeavors.
If she does decide to run, Republicans believe she would easily win the nomination with support from the MAGA movement. Some political experts think she has until fall to make her decision, while others hope she’ll decide within the next month.
There are some concerns within the MAGA political circle about whether she would be the best candidate for North Carolina, which is considered a purple state. Some worry she might be too closely associated with MAGA policies for moderate voters. However, supporters argue that she would be a strong candidate, pointing to her experience with the RNC, her Fox News show, and her ability to raise money. They also note that North Carolina is the only battleground state that Trump has won three times.
