In 2000,Whatley was a member of George W. Bush's team pursuing the Florida recount. During Bush's presidency,Whatley served in the United States Department of Energy as deputy assistant secretary.[5] In 2004,he became chief of staff for U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole,replacing Frank Hill.[5][6] In 2007,Whatley became a partner at lobbying firm HBW Resources,and in 2008 he became executive vice president for the Consumer Energy Alliance;he held the position until 2019.[7][8] In 2016,Whatley helped Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump campaign and organize rallies in North Carolina.[7]
Following the United States Capitol attack on January 6,2021,Whatley refused to blame Trump,saying that only those who participated in the riots bear responsibility.[12][13] In February 2021,Whatley said,"We certainly saw evidence of voting irregularities,of election counting irregularities in a number of places around the country",and that the reason Trump won North Carolina was his state party's vigilance against Democrats' attempts to cheat.[14] Also in February 2021,the state party voted unanimously to censure Senator Richard Burr for voting to convict President Trump during his second impeachment.[15]
Republican National Committee Chair
The Republican National Committee appointed Whatley as its general counsel in February 2023.[16] In February 2024,Donald Trump endorsed Whatley to replace Ronna McDaniel as chair of the RNC.[17] In March 2024,Whatley was elected as the new chair of the RNC,along with Lara Trump as his co-chair.[18][19] Per the North Carolina party's 2022 plan of organization,its vice chair (Susan Mills) served as state chair until a successor was elected.[20][21] During his tenure as chair of the RNC the Republican party won the presidency as well as a U.S. Senate and House majority in the 2024 United States elections.
In January 2025,Whatley was reelected as chair of the RNC.[22]
On July 24, 2025, press reports announced that Whatley would run for U.S. Senate with President Trump's support.[23][24] He vacated his position as chair of the RNC while running for the Senate seat.[25]
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