‘It’s Lara Trump’s Race’: North Carolina Republicans Look to the President as Race for Tillis Senate Seat Kicks Off

As the shadow race to replace two-term Senator Thom Tillis begins to heat up, Republicans are hoping President Trump can unite the North Carolina GOP behind a consensus Republican candidate, avoiding a fractious and potentially damaging primary.

Tillis’s retirement announcement came as a surprise to even some of his supporters, given he’d formally kicked off his reelection bid late last year and he was actively fundraising for another term.