Gastonia resident and RNC Chair Michael Whatley expected to launch bid for Tillis' seat
Whatley began his climb in the GOP more than 2 decades ago. He served as chair of the Gaston County Republican Party from 1999-2001. In 2019 he was to picked to lead the North Carolina Republican Party, and in 2024 he became chair of the Republican National Committee. He has served as a senior official in the George W. Bush administration, and as chief of staff for former Sen. Elizabeth Dole.
Politico reported this week that Whatley has the backing of Trump, whose daughter-in-law Lara Trump had also been rumored to be considering a bid.
In a July 24 social media post, Lara Trump confirmed she would not be seeking the Senate seat.
'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 wrote.
Whatley did not respond to a July 24 request for comment from the Asheville Citizen Times. A White House spokesperson also did not respond to a request for comment on the president's reported endorsement.
On the Democratic side, Axios first reported Cooper's intentions July 23. When reached by the Citizen Times, Morgan Jackson, a longtime political adviser to Cooper, declined to confirm Axios' reporting, but said the former governor 'would be making his intentions known in the coming days.'
Cooper, who served two terms as North Carolina's governor, is a likely frontrunner to win his party's primary. Former Congressman Wiley Nickel is also vying for the seat, currently held by Tillis, who annnounced in June that he would not seek a third term in office.
A matchup between Cooper and Whatley will likely be a high-stakes, expensive election that could determine whether Republicans can maintain control of the Senate.
The race could prove to be 'as close to a toss-up as exists in American politics,' Chris Cooper, a professor of political science and public affairs at Western Carolina University, told the Citizen Times on July 24.
Cooper, who is not related to the former governor, said both are 'heavyweight candidates with access to deep pockets and networks.' But neither Roy Cooper, nor Whatley, have outsized personalities that have often dominated politics in recent years.
'I think people who are expecting a barn-burner campaign driven by candidate narratives may be surprised,' Cooper said.
Sarah Honosky contributed reporting.
Jacob Biba is the Helene recovery reporter at the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jbiba@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gastonia resident and RNC chair Michael Whatley may campaign for Tillis' seat
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