Michael Whatley has earned his shot for U.S. Senate

No one’s closer to the Trump operation in North Carolina — and now Whatley’s taking the message to the ballot.

Back in the spring, I looked at the case for Michael Whatley for governor in 2028. It could have worked: Not because he was a perfect candidate, but because he brought something different. And for N.C. Republicans, “different” is something we might finally need to try.

Now he’s officially making his move. Whatley has reportedly stepped down as chairman of the Republican National Committee to run for U.S. Senate in 2026, with the expected backing of former President Donald Trump and the de facto blessing of Lara Trump, who opted out of the race.

And truthfully, this makes a whole lot more sense.

A man who’s earned this shot

I spent a lot of time with Whatley during the 2020 campaign, when he was leading the NCGOP. What I saw wasn’t just a sharp strategist. I saw one of the hardest workers in North Carolina politics — methodical, focused, and tireless.

But running for governor would have meant building a public persona from scratch — laying out a vision for state government, withstanding a b…