Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley has formally kicked off his bid for the hotly contested North Carolina Senate seat, opening the door for new leadership at the top of the official GOP.

Michael Whatley, the chair of the Republican National Committee, formally launched his bid to be North Carolina's next senator Thursday afternoon.

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper led Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley by 6 percentage points in the first major poll of the 2026 North Carolina Senate race. The Emerson College poll,