North Carolina’s 2026 Senate race is coming into focus as former Gov. Roy Cooper prepares to run and Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley, backed by President Donald Trump and GOP leadership,

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley is expected to run for the Senate in North Carolina, setting up a marquee race in next year’s midterms, two sources familiar with Whatley’s plans tell CNN.

Michael Whatley, chair of the Republican National Committee, plans to launch a campaign for Senate in North Carolina after Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, chose not to run, according to three people familiar with the decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity because his plans have not been publicly announced.