Republican hopefuls wait for Lara Trump decision in North Carolina Senate race, sources tell CNN

Lara Trump, President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, is the leading potential candidate to run for Senate from North Carolina with Donald Trump’s backing, multiple sources tell CNN.

Lara Trump, President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, is the leading potential candidate to run for Senate from North Carolina with Donald Trump’s backing, multiple sources tell CNN. Sen. Thom Tillis’ announcement that he won’t seek reelection next year opens a prize opportunity for North Carolina Republicans. Multiple Trump allies looking to enter the race have begun reaching out to the president’s aides, potentially seeking an endorsement that would all but lock out other challengers in a GOP primary. But Lara Trump, the former Republican National Committee co-chair and a key campaign surrogate last year, has the right of first refusal on an endorsement by her father-in-law, those sources say. Should she decide not to run, Republicans aligned with Donald Trump plan to conduct a full assessment of candidate possibilities in a race Democrats will contest as a potential opportunity to cut into the GOP’s majority. “It would be great for her to run,” one source who has spoken to the president about the prospect told CNN. A source familiar with Lara Trump’s thinking said she’s been fielding calls from Republicans encouraging her to run and is considering it. “There is a lot for her to factor into this decision, like losing time with her kids,” the source said, noting that she had taken those factors into consideration when weighing running for Senate from North Carolina in 2022 and from Florida last year when then-Sen. Marco Rubio was nominated for secretary of state.