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Former Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of President-elect Donald Trump, said she is removing her name from consideration for Florida’s United States Senator.
In a post to X on Saturday, the former party chair stated that, “After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate.”
“I could not have been more honored to serve as RNC co-chair during the most high-stakes election of our lifetime and I’m truly humbled by the unbelievable support shown to me by the people of our country, and here in the great state of Florida,” she added. “I have read so many of your kind messages and I cannot thank you enough.”
Lara Trump’s announcement follows her recent decision to step down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), initially sparking reports she might be considering serving in the U.S. Senate.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will likely step down from his seat in the next few weeks after President-elect Trump nominated him to serve as secretary of state.
If Rubio is confirmed, a new senator will be appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to serve out the term’s remaining two years until the 2026 election, the Associated Press reported.
Nevertheless, the former party chair added that she will have a “big announcement” in January, and to “stay tuned.”
Wishing DeSantis good luck with his appointment, she concluded how she will “look forward to serving our country again sometime in the future.”
Despite seemingly removing her name from consideration to the U.S. Senate altogether, there is still a possibility that the former party chair runs against incumbent GOP Sen. Thom Tillis in North Carolina’s 2026 primaries.
Lara Trump, a North Carolina native, was once considered a possible candidate for the retiring Sen. Richard Burr’s seat in 2022, though she ultimately declined, according to a report from The Carolina Journal.
Tillis was reelected in 2020, though narrowly defeating a scandal-ridden opponent, Democrat Cal Cunningham, by nearly two points. With the unpopularity of Tillis, her candidacy and a primary win could help prevent the vulnerable seat from being flipped by the Democrats in 2026.
Tillis, who is running for a third term, received just 11 percent Republican support in a recent Victory Insights hypothetical GOP primary poll, while Lara Trump received 65 percent in the survey.