The contest could attract several Republicans because they do not have to challenge an incumbent and because the expectation is that the general election would be easier to win with President-elect Joe Biden in the White House. But if the president continues to carry weight with GOP primary voters in North Carolina in his post-presidency, Lara Trump could enter the Senate race as a top candidate.

“She’s very charismatic, she understands retail politics well, and has a natural instinct for politics,” colleague Mercedes Schlapp told the New York Times, which first reported the news of a possible bid. “In North Carolina, in particular, she’s a household name, and people know her. She worked really hard on the campaign and was very involved in a lot of decisions throughout.”

Trump, 38, is married to Eric Trump, one of the president’s sons.

Over the past four years, she has advised her father-in-law’s political operation and is among his most high-profile surrogate spokeswomen on television and on the campaign trail. Speculation about a future in electoral politics regarding the president’s children has centered on Donald Trump Jr., his oldest son, but with five young children, it is unclear if he would throw his hat into the ring in the immediate future.

Lara Trump currently lives in New York and would be sure to have competition in the Senate race if she moves back to North Carolina with her family and runs.

Many Republicans have been waiting patiently for an opportunity to run without having to challenge a GOP incumbent. North Carolina is a swing state but has tilted Republican in presidential and Senate elections. Democrats have not won a Senate contest there since 2006. Republicans have won the state’s Electoral College votes in three consecutive presidential races, although the president only defeated Biden by roughly 1.4 percentage points.

Author: David M. Drucker, Senior Political Correspondent