Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Lara Trump is stepping down as RNC co-chair, fueling Senate seat speculation.
- She is considering taking a U.S. Senate in Florida if appointed, following Marco Rubio's nomination as Secretary of State.
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will appoint Rubio's replacement by January.
WASHINGTON — Lara Trump will step down from her position as co-chair of the Republican National Committee, she announced on social media Sunday.
"Serving as the @GOP co-chair throughout the course of the most consequential election in American history has truly been the honor of my life," Trump wrote. "The job I came to do is now complete and I intend to formally step down from the RNC at our next meeting."
Trump, the daughter-in-law of President-elect Donald Trump, served as the RNC's second-highest-ranking officer since March. Her abrupt decision to depart the Republican Party's organizing body fuels speculation about the possibility of her serving in her father-in-law's administration or filling a vacant U.S. Senate seat in Florida, where she resides.
In an interview with the Associated Press on Sunday, Trump said she "would seriously consider" becoming the next U.S. senator from Florida, after one of the state's seats was vacated by Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump's nominee for Secretary of State.
"If I'm being completely transparent, I don't know exactly what that would look like," Lara Trump told the AP when asked about joining the Senate. "And I certainly want to get all of the information possible if that is something that's real for me. But yeah, I would 100% consider it."
Rubio's replacement will be selected by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and would serve through the duration of Rubio's term, which expires in 2026. DeSantis said he plans to name a replacement "by the beginning of January," following a period of "extensive vetting."
In 2022, Lara Trump considered running for an open U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina, her home state. One early poll of the 2026 U.S. Senate election in North Carolina found Trump to be the runaway favorite. Lara Trump has never held elected office.
During her tenure at the RNC, Trump helped orchestrate the Republican Party's successful 2024 elections, including retaking the White House and the U.S. Senate, and maintaining control of the U.S. House. When Donald Trump retakes office in January, it will mark the first government trifecta since 2016.
Lara Trump served as the RNC's co-chair since March, after her father-in-law endorsed her for the position. Lara Trump and Michael Whatley, the RNC's chairman, filled their positions after Ronna McDaniel — the longest-serving RNC chair in modern history — resigned her post earlier this year.
On Wednesday, President-elect Trump expressed his desire for Whatley to maintain his position. "I have asked Michael to return as Chairman of the RNC to continue to build our Party, and be a trusted partner as we Make America Great Again, and ensure Free and Fair Elections," Trump wrote in a statement. "Republicans everywhere should support him as he continues his mission at the RNC."
