Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley is planning a run for U.S. Senate in North Carolina next year after Sen. Thom Tillis dropped out of the race.

The 48-year-old Florida lawmaker is the RNC treasurer and previously served as chair of the Florida Republican Party. Gruters had been expected to run to be the state’s chief fi

Michael Whatley, chair of the Republican National Committee, plans to launch a campaign for Senate in North Carolina after Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, chose not to run, according to three people familiar with the decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity because his plans have not been publicly announced.