Lara Trump mulling 2022 Senate run in North Carolina: report

President Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, could become the next Trump on a ballot as she is reportedly considering a 2022 Senate run in her home state of North Carolina, according to a New York Times report on Thursday. 

Three allies of Lara Trump told the Times that she has been telling associates she could run in two years to replace Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), who plans to retire at the end of his term.

The upcoming Senate race is likely to be tight after North Carolina became more of a battleground state in this year’s election. President Trump held onto the state by 1.3 percentage points — a smaller margin than in 2016, hinting that the Tar Heel State may be looking more purple.  

The president’s daughter-in-law, a former personal trainer and television producer for Insider Edition, married Eric Trump in 2014.

Mercedes Schlapp, a Trump campaign adviser who traveled with Lara Trump, called her “very charismatic” with “a natural instinct for politics.”

“In North Carolina, in particular, she’s a household name and people know her,” she told the Times. “She worked really hard on the campaign and was very involved in a lot of decisions throughout.”

Political experts have floated the idea that Trump’s children may look to follow the president into politics, but most of the focus has remained on Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr.

Former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told the Times that Lara Trump “would be formidable.”

“She has the trifecta: She can raise money, raise awareness of key issues and raise attention to her race,” Conway said. “Unlike many typical politicians, she connects with people and is a compelling messenger.”

Lara Trump, who spoke at the Republican National Convention and spoke at several campaign stops, including in North Carolina, this year, declined to comment to the Times about her plans. 

But other North Carolina Republicans are also expected to step up to the plate to target Burr’s seat, including Rep. Mark Walker, whom President Trump has suggested he’d support.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Gov. Pat McCrory, North Carolina Speaker Tim Moore and Republican nominee for governor Dan Forest, who lost in 2017 to Gov. Roy Cooper (D), are also expected to throw their hats in the ring, according to the Times.