Republican Florida State Sen. Joe Gruters, with backing from President Donald Trump, is teed up to replace Michael Whatley as the next chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Trump on Thursday endorsed both Gruters for RNC chair and Whatley, who is widely expected to soon launch his 2026 bid, for a North Carolina seat in the Senate.
“Mike would make an unbelievable Senator from North Carolina,” Trump said of Whatley, who previously led the North Carolina Republican Party before leaving for the RNC. “He is fantastic at everything he does, and he was certainly great at the RNC where, in the Presidential Election, we won every Swing State, the Popular Vote, and the Electoral College by a landslide!”
“Fortunately, I have somebody who will do a wonderful job as the Chairman of the RNC. His name is, Joe Gruters, and he will have my Complete and Total Endorsement,” Trump added. “So, should Michael Whatley run for the Senate, please let this notification represent my Complete and Total Endorsement. HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
It’s unlikely Gruters will face major competition, considering Whatley easily won RNC’s top spot after Trump backed him to replace Ronna McDaniel last year. The Trump-endorsed contender would need to be elected by the majority of RNC members.
Gruters, a longtime Trump ally, currently represents the Sarasota area in the Florida Senate and serves as RNC treasurer. He previously led the Republican Party of Florida and co-chaired Trump’s 2016 campaign operations in the state alongside Susie Wiles, now the White House chief of staff.
Gruters’s support of Trump dates back to 2012, when party leaders denied the real estate mogul a speaking slot at the Republican National Convention in Tampa. Gruters invited Trump to instead speak in Sarasota, where the businessman received a “Statesman of the Year” award even though he wasn’t involved in politics at the time.
While the state senator’s ties to Trump are strong, the same can’t be said of his relationship with Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL). The two have frequently clashed over the years, especially when Gruters supported Trump over DeSantis for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
Most recently, Gruters lost out on the Florida CFO appointment after DeSantis picked a staunch ally, former State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia. The governor swore in Ingoglia earlier this week.
Despite that loss, Gruters is now shifting his attention to the RNC.
The path is paved for him now that Lara Trump is no longer co-leading the RNC alongside Whatley and is working at Fox News, where she hosts her own show. Notably, the president’s daughter-in-law announced on Thursday she would forgo running for retiring Sen. Thom Tillis’s (R-NC) open seat next year. That is the same seat Whatley is reportedly looking to fill.
Following the high-profile endorsement, Gruters said he is “looking forward to advancing President Trump’s America First agenda as the next Chair of the RNC” and “ready to serve, fight, and win for our party and our country.”
The Republican Party of Florida also put its full support behind the state senator.
“As our former Chairman, we know he has what it takes to bring the @GOP to new heights,” the Florida GOP posted on X. “He’s proven, tested, and ready to lead!”