NORTH CAROLINA — Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley has formally announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina. The announcement was made during a media event in Gastonia on Thursday, July 31.
READ MORE: Roy Cooper enters Senate race
“Our campaign will be about North Carolina values,” Whatley said during his speech. “We will fight for a strong economy, safe communities, and an America that is respected around the world.”
Whatley’s career is marked by decades of involvement in Republican politics and government, culminating in his current role as chairman of the Republican National Committee.
A North Carolina native, Whatley began his political engagement volunteering in high school for former Senator Jesse Helms and later worked on George W. Bush’s presidential campaign, serving in his administration at the Department of Energy and as Chief of Staff to Senator Elizabeth Dole. He then led the North Carolina Republican Party from 2019 to 2024, before being elected RNC chairman in March 2024.
President Donald Trump has already fully endorsed Whatley’s run for the Senate seat. Trump publicly called for Whatley to enter the race on July 24, stating he would be an “unbelievable senator.”
The seat opened after current Republican Sen. Thom Tillis announced on June 29 he will not seek re-election in 2026 after two terms. His decision came shortly after Trump criticized him on social media for opposing the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act. Tillis was one of three Republicans who voted against it, citing an expected $32-billion in Medicaid cuts for North Carolina over the next decade. Tillis also expressed a need for more family time and frustration with political gridlock as reasons for his retirement.
Whatley will be facing off against former two-term governor, Democrat Roy Cooper, who announced his run July 28. In response to Whatley’s announcement, Cooper’s campaign manager Jeff Allen posted to social media:
“Michael Whatley is a D.C. insider and big oil lobbyist who supports policies that are ripping health care away from North Carolinians and raising costs for middle class families,” Allen wrote. “North Carolinians don’t need a lobbyist as their Senator, and voters will have a clear choice between Whatley’s long career as a Beltway insider against Roy Cooper’s record of putting partisanship aside to get results for North Carolina.”
Whatley addressed Cooper and his time as governor during his announcement speech.
“Roy Cooper may pretend to be different from the radical extremists that run today’s Democratic Party, but he is all in on their agenda,” Whatley said. “They fight harder for waste, fraud and abuse than they do their constituents who are paying our taxes.”
As of now, Whatley and Cooper are the front-runners for their respective parties.
Other running Republicans include attorney and former congressional candidate Don Brown and businessman and former Lieutenant Governor candidate Andy Nilsson. Despite Whatley’s entry into the race with Trump’s endorsement, both men have continued their campaigns and are expected to challenge him in the Republican primary.
Former U.S. Congressman Wiley Nickel had previously announced his run for the seat in January, but has since removed himself from the race and earlier this week endorsed Cooper.
The primary election for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina is scheduled for March 10, 2026 with the general election on Nov. 3.
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