Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of the president, has opted against running for retiring Sen. Thom Tillis’s North Carolina seat, clearing the way for Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley’s candidacy.

Whatley is expected to announce his bid to replace Tillis within the next 10 days, according to Politico. Trump, who served as co-chair with Whatley over the RNC last year, is expected to back Whatley and keep her weekend show on Fox News.

“After much consideration and heartfelt discussions with my family, friends, and supporters, I have decided not to pursue the United States Senate seat in North Carolina at this time,” Trump posted to X on Thursday morning. “While I am not running in this election, my passion for Making America Great Again burns brightly, and I look forward to the future, wherever that leads.”

Tillis announced his intention to leave the U.S. Senate after voting against the One Big, Beautiful Bill, putting him at odds with President Donald Trump.

Before heading the RNC, Whatley led the Republican Party in North Carolina and is thought to have a solid understanding of the state’s electorate, as well as relationships with key power brokers and donors.

The president is expected to name his pick to replace Whatley at the RNC around the time the current RNC chief announces his bid for the Senate.

Whatley will likely face ​​former two-term North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who top Democrats have recruited to run for Tillis’s seat. Cooper is expected to announce his bid for the U.S. Senate next week, according to The New York Times.

Whatley earned the approval of the president during the 2020 election, when Whatley mobilized an army of poll watchers to keep tabs on election processes in North Carolina. The president won the state by slim margins in 2020 and 2024.

The president endorsed Whatley to head the RNC and replace former chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel, who had fallen out of favor with the president amid questions over her record of success leading the Republican Party. RNC members approved Whatley as the party’s head in early 2024.

Lara Trump stepped down from the RNC in December amid speculation that she wanted to replace former Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who joined the president’s cabinet as Secretary of State. Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis later tapped his former state attorney general, Sen. Ashley Moody, to fill the seat.