Trump-backed RNC Chair Michael Whatley jumps into North Carolina's Senate race as Lara Trump declines to run, creating a battle for one of 2026's competitive seats.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley is expected to run for the Senate in North Carolina, setting up a marquee race in next year’s midterms, two sources familiar with Whatley’s plans tell CNN.

Whatley's plans have been blessed by the White House, one of the sources said. Also expected to enter the race is Democratic former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, according to three sources familiar with Cooper's plans. Cooper is expected to announce his bid next week, the sources said.

The Democratic National Committee is trying to catch up via a pitch for donors touting a “brand project” and saying the party must get ahead of demographic changes.

Vice President JD Vance headlined a big-ticket fundraiser Tuesday on Nantucket, raking in $3 million in donations for Republicans as the 2026 midterm elections draw closer, The Post can reveal.

The gap between the RNC and DNC is wider now than it was at this same stage of the first midterm cycle after Trump's 2016 victory.