NC GOP field ‘frozen' as Lara Trump weighs Senate bid

Politico

15 hours ago

When Lara Trump considered jumping into the North Carolina Senate race four years ago, one of the most encouraging voices was her father-in-law.
President Donald Trump told his daughter-in-law to seize the moment, according to three people close to Lara Trump. Like others in this story, they were granted anonymity to discuss internal conversations.
'You should do it,' he told her, one of the three people said.
She would have, if not for having two young children, ages 1 and 3, at the time, the people said.
Now, the younger Trump — who has previously had ambitions to hold elected office — is at a crossroads again amid Sen. Thom Tillis' announcement that he won't seek reelection. And while she weighs her options, the rest of the state GOP is at a standstill.
'The field is gonna be frozen,' said one political operative close to the White House. 'She has the right of first refusal.'
Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley, who also served as the head of the state party, is interested in running but won't make a play until he knows Lara's decision, two people who know him say. There are several other Republicans eyeing the seat but with little name recognition or ability to raise money, they know they're second or third fiddle to the president's daughter-in-law and wouldn't dare ask for Trump's favor while she's still considering a run.
'I think people are really smart enough to not go in there,' said another person close to the White House. 'Everybody's kind of just been like, 'it's Lara's if she wants it,' The ball is in Lara Trump's court. It's that simple.'
The White House and Lara Trump did not respond to requests for comment. But at least one person close to Lara Trump was skeptical she'd decide to enter the race. Her children are still young. And she's also making good money, the person said, through TV and podcast gigs as well as paid speeches, not to mention work with the Trump Organization.
'She'd have to give it all up,' the person said.
But there's no doubt among Republicans that if she decides to run, she'll have the backing of the MAGA movement and that she'll clinch the nomination.
Some political operatives think Lara Trump has as late as the fall to make up her mind. Others closer to the race are hoping she'll decide in the next month or so.
'They'll do it in the time that makes sense. It'll probably be sooner rather than later,' said the person close to the White House. 'And again, I think it's going to be a personal family decision for her.'
It's the same dilemma Lara Trump faced in 2021, when she announced that June she was declining to run to replace the retiring Richard Burr because of her two young children. Trump said she would not have been able to give '100 percent' to a Senate bid, while adding that she was saying no 'for now, not no forever.'
Her husband, Eric Trump, in a recent interview with the Financial Times, talked about the challenges of political life with young children when asked whether he or someone in his family would consider running for office.
'The real question is: 'Do you want to drag other members of your family into it?'' Eric Trump said. 'Would I want my kids to live the same experience over the last decade that I've lived? You know, if the answer was yes, I think the political path would be an easy one, meaning, I think I could do it … And by the way, I think other members of our family could do it too.'
Beyond Lara Trump's personal considerations, there are some private disagreements in the MAGA political sphere about whether she's the best candidate for a purple state. One Trump ally said she may be too MAGA for North Carolina, as Democrats are likely to turn the race into a referendum on Trump's presidency. There's concern Lara Trump's candidacy could bolster this narrative in a race against a candidate like former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.
But the political operative close to the White House argued she would be a huge boost for the party. North Carolina is the only battleground that Trump has carried three times, she can raise a ton of money, and would have her father-in-law's help turning out voters.
And unlike four years ago, she's battle-tested, having helped run the RNC. She hosts her own TV show on 'Fox News,' raising her profile considerably.
'I could argue that it could be a tremendous asset,' the aforementioned political operative argued. 'It's not like the party elite would have concerns — between her time on her father-in-law's campaigns and her ability to raise cash, a lot of people think she'd be formidable.'