Trump’s First Choice for Senate Seat

On Tuesday, President Trump shared that he views his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, as his “first choice” to fill the Senate seat being vacated by Tom Tillis, a retired Republican senator from North Carolina, in 2026.

“Lara is a great person; she grew up there,” Trump stated to reporters on Air Force One when asked about potential candidates for the Senate.

However, Trump acknowledged a potential issue: Lara and her husband, Eric Trump, currently live in Florida, not North Carolina. “They have a wonderful life down there,” he remarked. “She was really involved in the RNC and had a top-rated show.”

Lara, who is 42 and hails from Wilmington, North Carolina, previously co-chaired the Republican National Committee during Trump’s surprising political resurgence and significant win in the 2024 presidential election.

Currently, she hosts “My Views with Lara Trump” on Fox News, which is pretty popular. Trump praised her, saying, “I think she did really well. She’s an amazing person. Lara Trump is always my first choice, although she doesn’t reside there right now.” He added, “Her parents live in North Carolina, so she knows the state very well.”

Lara resides in Jupiter, Florida, with Eric and their two kids, but it’s necessary for candidates to live in the state they want to represent during elections. A local news outlet indicated that to comply with the state’s 90-day residency rule for political candidates, Lara understands she would need to return to North Carolina by September.

Tillis, who has served in the Senate since 2015, announced on Sunday his decision not to run for reelection in 2026 after voting against a major legislative initiative. On her Fox News show, Lara addressed speculation about her political ambitions. “I think many people might remember me hinting that I was considering running for the Senate seat. There’s a lot of history in those midterms,” she noted. “The timing just didn’t seem right before, but now things have changed.”

“I’ve learned in the last 24 hours that Senator Tillis won’t be seeking reelection. This has made me reconsider, so yes, I’m giving it some thought,” she added.

Trump mentioned that he hasn’t yet discussed the potential run with Lara and hopes at least one member from North Carolina’s House will enter the race for 2026.