WASHINGTON – She hasn’t lived in the state in more than a decade, has never held political office and hasn’t said whether she’ll run, but Lara Trump’s possible campaign for North Carolina’s open U.S. Senate seat has for months loomed over the GOP field of would-be candidates.
Former President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law — a North Carolina native — is seen both inside and outside the state as the candidate to beat, if she enters the contest.
“A Trump-endorsed candidate for an open Senate seat in a state Trump won is a big advantage. A Trump-endorsed candidate for an open Senate seat in a state Trump won who’s also named Trump has a humongous advantage,” said Kellyanne Conway, who was counselor to Trump for much of his four years in office.