Democrats quick to respond to NC’s Michael Whatley entering U.S. Senate race
Democrats went on the attack Thursday morning after learning who Republicans plan to run in place of outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis.
On Thursday morning, a Republican consultant confirmed to McClatchy that Michael Whatley plans to run for U.S. Senate, and step down from his chairmanship at the Republican National Committee.
The news was first reported by Politico, who said President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump, does not plan to run. Both she and Whatley, who together co-chaired the national party, had been highly suspected of running.
“Republicans just lost their ‘formidable’ and ‘first choice’ candidate for U.S. Senate, driving them further into chaos and closer to losing this seat,” said Mallory Payne, spokesperson for the North Carolina Democratic Party. “Now, they are stuck with Michael Whatley, who gave a ringing endorsement to extremist Mark Robinson and is a staunch supporter of the cruel Medicaid cuts that cut health care for over 650,000 North Carolinians while delivering tax giveaways to billionaires — an agenda so toxic it forced Thom Tillis into retirement.”
Whatley’s team could not immediately be reached for comment about the Democrats’ statement.
Former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson ran for governor in 2024, and was given a prime speaking slot at the Republican National Convention last summer. Whatley has embraced Robinson, calling him “the greatest lieutenant governor in the United States.”
Robinson has always been known for vile comments he made about women, the LGBTQ community, Jews and the Black community, to name a few, but it was his alleged racist and raunchy online posts on a porn forum that cost his campaign.
Senate candidates from NC
Tillis, the state’s senior senator, planned to run for reelection until last month, when he found himself at odds with the party on a policy issue regarding Medicaid. Tillis said that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act would cut 663,000 people in North Carolina from the social safety net program. And he wanted his party leaders to take his concerns seriously enough that he removed his reelection campaign as a potential bargaining chip in negotiations from the bill, choosing instead to retire.
That left the party scrambling to find a replacement to run in Tillis’ stead.
Lara Trump and Whatley’s names were most frequently referenced, as well as Rep. Pat Harrigan, a freshman from Hickory.
Whatley’s news came less than 24 hours after former Gov. Roy Cooper’s top adviser confirmed he would be making his own announcement in the race in the coming days. Many news outlets are reporting Cooper is set to confirm his candidacy on Monday, but Jackson is not confirming any specifics.
Former JAG officer Don Brown and retired business owner Andy Nilsson are also running in the Republican primary. Former Rep. Wiley Nickel, a Democrat from Cary, plans to run as well.
Nickel had this to say on social media Thursday about Whatley’s decision: “Reminder: Whatley has never questioned Trump, not once. If elected, he wouldn’t represent North Carolina. He’d be a rubber stamp for Trump’s every whim.”
The race is expected to break fundraising records and be highly watched and scrutinized due to Senate Republican’s thin majority and their desire to maintain control of the both chambers. North Carolina is a swing state with voters who are known to split the ticket.
“Democrats will flip this seat in 2026,” Payne said.
This story was originally published July 24, 2025 at 3:07 PM with the headline "Democrats quick to respond to NC’s Michael Whatley entering U.S. Senate race."
