Lara Trump announces she is dropping out of running for the Senate in Florida

RNC co-chair Lara Trump has decided she will not extend the family’s political dynasty into the Senate, leaving her name ineligible for Marco Rubio’s open seat in Florida.

Trump, the wife of the newly elected president’s son Eric, was considered one of the contenders to replace Rubio after he was confirmed as the new secretary of state.

It was even considered part of a deal between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis that could see him replace Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense candidate.

However, Lara Trump released a statement on Saturday withdrawing her name from the running.

“After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration before the United States Senate,” she wrote.

“I could not have been more honored to serve as co-chair of the RNC during the highest-stakes election of our lives, and I am truly humbled by the incredible support the people of our country have shown me, and here in the great state of Florida.

“I have read so many of your kind messages and I can’t thank you enough.”

However, Lara did say that she has “a big announcement that I’d like to share in January, so stay tuned.”

“I remain incredibly passionate about public service and look forward to serving our country again in the future.” In the meantime, I wish Governor DeSantis the best of luck with this appointment.”

Donald Trump last spoke about his daughter-in-law’s possible Senate ambitions on Monday during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago.

When asked if he expected DeSantis to name Lara Trump as Rubio’s replacement, Trump replied: “Probably not, but I don’t know.”

Trump recently spoke with DeSantis at a memorial for law enforcement officers in Florida.

The president-elect’s allies pushed DeSantis to nominate Lara Trump.

“Ron is doing well with his choice,” Trump said, without elaborating.

He praised Lara Trump, including for her work at the RNC, where part of her duties included focusing on “election integrity,” a priority of Trump after he falsely claimed fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

Earlier in December, she said she would step down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee and consider a vacancy in the U.S. Senate if Marco Rubio is confirmed.

“The task I came to do is now accomplished and I plan to formally resign from the RNC at our next meeting,” she said in a Sunday evening post on X, which listed fundraising, election integrity and voter turnout as goals that were achieved.

Lara Trump told the Associated Press in an interview that she was open to filling the U.S. Senate seat that would become vacant if the Senate confirms Trump’s choice of Marco Rubio as the next secretary of state.

“It’s something I would seriously consider,” she told the AP.

“If I’m being completely transparent, I don’t know exactly what that would look like. And I definitely want to get all the information I can if that’s something that’s really for me. But yes, I would 100% consider it.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would choose a replacement to serve out the remainder of Rubio’s six-year term, which ends in 2026.

Lara Trump and Michael Whatley, leader of the North Carolina Republican Party, took over leadership of the RNC in March, which played a key role in rallying voters and funds for the Nov. 5 general election.

While some of the Trump Cabinet’s choices are controversial, Rubio’s are not. He will likely be easily confirmed by the Senate as the next Secretary of State, putting his Senate seat up for grabs.

Nearly six-in-ten Republicans — 59 percent — say Lara is their top choice to replace Rubio, according to a JL Partners poll for DailyMail.com earlier this month.

Only ten percent are against.

When all respondents, regardless of party, were considered, responses were more divided. Thirty-three percent say they support Lara as senator, while 30 percent are opposed.

The mother of two and wife of Trump’s middle son Eric was instrumental in helping the Republican Party regain the Senate and the White House while maintaining their majority in the House of Representatives in the 2024 elections.

Since last year, Lara’s political stakes in the MAGA world and the Republican Party have increased significantly.

The idea of ​​a Trump family member in the US Senate has attracted enthusiasm, including from Maye Musk, the mother of billionaire Trump ally Elon Musk.

‘The Senate is an old man’s club. We desperately need a smart, young, open-hearted woman who will reveal their secrets,” she posted on X last month.

Once Rubio officially steps down from the Senate, which he is expected to do next month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will have the authority to fill his seat if confirmed to Trump’s Cabinet.

Last month, DeSantis said he ‘[m]He completed extensive screening and candidate interviews in December so he is ready to announce Rubio’s replacement in “early January.”

“Florida deserves a senator who will help President Trump deliver on his electoral mandate, be strong on immigration and border security, take on the entrenched bureaucracy and administrative state, reverse the nation’s budget decline, inspire is guided by conservative principles and has a proven track record. of results,” DeSantis wrote on X.

The Florida governor entered the 2024 primaries to challenge Trump for the Republican presidential nomination.

Despite being one of the remaining contenders for the position, DeSantis fell in line over the summer when he endorsed Trump and spoke on his behalf at the Republican Convention in July.

The governor has plenty of local options if he’s brave enough to break with Trump and instead elevate one of his allies.

DeSantis’ No. 2, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, is an obvious choice.

Other names floating around include Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and former Speaker of the Florida House Paul Renner.