Lara Trump Says She's Open to Running for Senate in North Carolina: 'It Would Be an Incredible Thing'

Lara Trump is reportedly considering a political campaign of her own in 2022. The wife of Eric Trump and daughter-in-law of President Donald Trump revealed on Wednesday that she might run for the United States Senate, representing her home state of North Carolina. Lara has served as an adviser on the Trump campaign in the last few years, and if the seat is open, she might go for it.

"It would be an incredible thing. It's my home state, a state I love so much," Lara said during an appearance on Fox News this week. "And look, I think we need some strong Republicans in Washington, DC. We had a great run with the Senate and the House this go-round, but you know, let's see what happens. Let's get through this one and then we'll talk about the next one."

Rumbles of Lara's perspective run was first reported by The New York Times, who noted that incumbent Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina has previously expressed his hope to retire in 2022. That would leave his seat open, and political analysts speculate that the race would be crowded with Republicans.

According to a report by CNN, the president himself teased the possibility of Lara's senate run earlier this month, at one of his final campaign rallies in Wisconsin. He said: "We had an asset from North Carolina named Lara Trump, married to the legendary Eric Trump. We had a big asset there, Lara Trump, and she knew that area so well and they loved her so much. They loved her so much and they just had another baby and they named the baby Carolina."

North Carolina is considered a battleground state for presidential elections. In 2008, former President Barack Obama narrowly won the state, but in 2012 it went to his opponent, Sen. Mitt Romney. In 2016, Trump scored a nearly three-point victory there, and in 2020, Trump won by a much more narrow margin.

As a native with national name recognition, Lara Trump might have an advantage in a crowded senate race in North Carolina, though it is not guaranteed. In addition to working for the Trump campaign, she is a frequent news media guest, and she previously worked as a producer on Inside Edition. She also worked for Giles-Parscale, the digital firm owned by former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale, as a senior consultant.

Back in August, Lara spoke at the Republican National Convention and was generally received as one of the more tame Trump family members. There, she gave some clues about what a political campaign might look like for her, saying: "I know the promise of America because I have lived it, not just as a member of the Trump family, but as a woman who knows what it's like to work in blue-collar jobs, to serve customers for tips, and to aspire to rise."