Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina announced on Sunday that he won't seek re-election in 2026 to a third term in the U.S. Senate. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
"Does he have great choices? Absolutely," said the strategist, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely.
Likely at the top of the list is Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law who served last year, amid the 2024 presidential campaign, as co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC).
TRUMP REACTS TO TILLIS NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION, SENDS WARNING TO 'COST CUTTING REPUBLICANS'
Lara Trump, who grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, and attended undergraduate studies at North Carolina State University, is married to the president's son, Eric.
She stepped down from her post at the RNC late last year and currently hosts "My View with Lara Trump" on the Fox News Channel.
Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley is interviewed by Fox News Digital, at the RNC headquarters in Washington D.C., on Dec. 12, 2024. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)
Whatley served five years as chair of the North Carolina GOP before Trump early last year picked him to succeed Ronna McDaniel as RNC chair.
"Chairman Whatley is honored to have been asked by President Trump to serve as Chair of the Republican National Committee following a hugely successful 2025, and is focused on grown Republican majorities in Congress," an RNC adviser told Fox News when asked about the North Carolina Senate race.
WHAT MIKE WHATLEY TOLD FOX NEWS DIGITAL
Another name that comes up is Rep. Richard Hudson, who for a second straight cycle is chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Along with Whatley, Hudson, who for over a decade has represented a congressional district in the central section of North Carolina, is a strong Trump ally.
Then-Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat from North Carolina, speaks with reporters on Sept. 10, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
But all eyes are on former two-term Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is mulling a run. Cooper is viewed as the most formidable and prominent potential Democratic candidate for a seat his party is aiming to flip from red to blue.
But no Democrat has won a Senate race in North Carolina since 2008.
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Hours after Tillis' announcement on Sunday, a top non-partisan political handicapper shifted their rating on the North Carolina Senate race from Lean Republican to Toss Up.
"The surprise move from Tillis moves this race into the Toss Up category and officially makes the Tar Heel State Democrats’ top pickup opportunity," the Cook Report's Jessica Walter said.
Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast."
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