North Carolinians interested in replacing retiring Sen. Thom Tillis are waiting out decisions from Lara Trump and Roy Cooper, the state’s former Democratic governor.
“Our calculus on everything has changed with Tillis out,” Democrat Wiley Nickel, a former congressman, told Semafor.
President Donald Trump’s remark that his daughter-in-law is his “first choice” has thrown another curveball to candidates already awaiting a decision from Cooper.
“Lara Trump’s very viable,” said Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C. “There’s a great case to be made” for her.
That puts donors and other potential candidates in a holding pattern. An RNC official said “Chair [Michael] Whatley is focused on serving the president and working with his team to protect and expand our Republican majorities.”
Crypto insiders said they don’t expect the high-spending industry — which supports Nickel but could benefit from GOP control — to get involved until much later.