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Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina announced on Sunday that he will not run for reelection next year. The news came just a day after he opposed President Donald Trump’s tax and spending plan because it cuts funding for health care programs.
Tillis’s retirement opens up a Senate seat in North Carolina, a key swing state, giving Democrats a chance to gain ground in the 2026 midterm elections. It also makes Tillis a wildcard in the Republican Party, where few lawmakers challenge Trump’s agenda.
Trump had already threatened to support a primary challenger against Tillis. On Sunday, Trump posted that Tillis’s decision not to run was “Great News!”
“In Washington, it’s become clear that leaders who support bipartisanship and independent thinking are becoming rare,” Tillis said in a statement. He added that he was proud of his public service but recognized how hard it is for politicians who don’t always follow their party line.
“I look forward to having the freedom to speak my mind and serve the people of North Carolina as best I can,” he said.
Currently, Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate.
Trump had criticized Tillis on social media for voting on Saturday night against moving forward with the large tax bill. Trump accused him of only seeking publicity and threatened to campaign against him. He also accused Tillis of failing to help people in western North Carolina after floods from Hurricane Helene last year.
“Tillis is a talker and complainer, NOT A DOER,” Trump wrote.
Many Republican leaders were surprised by the timing of Tillis’s announcement, though not entirely by his decision. He had planned to reveal his future plans later this year but was leaning toward retiring, according to someone familiar with his thinking.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsBefore announcing his decision, Tillis was considering whether Trump and the White House would allow him to campaign independently, and whether he’d have support from Senate Republican leaders. The answer to both, he realized, was no, especially after Trump’s call for a primary challenger and GOP plans to cut Medicaid, which Tillis said would hurt North Carolina.
Tillis decided to retire rather than face questions about whether he might change his vote on the Republican tax bill.
North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Jason Simmons said the party wishes Tillis well and is determined to keep the seat in Republican hands in 2026.
Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, who leads the Senate Republican campaign committee, didn’t mention Tillis directly but said Republicans would keep winning in North Carolina, noting that Trump has won the state three times.
Democrats see an opportunity. Former Republican Wiley Nickel, who announced his candidacy in April, said he’s ready to face any Republican opponent.
“I’ve flipped a tough seat before, and we’re going to do it again,” Nickel said in a statement.
Some Democrats say Tillis’s decision highlights how Trump has changed the Republican Party, leaving little room for those who disagree with him.
“This proves there’s no space in the Republican Party for anyone who opposes taking health care away from 11.8 million people,” said Lauren French, spokesperson for the Senate Majority PAC, which supports Senate Democrats.
Tillis first rose to political prominence in North Carolina when, as a second-term state House member, he left his job as an IBM consultant to help Republicans win the state legislature in 2010 for the first time in 140 years.
He later became speaker of the state House and helped pass conservative laws on taxes, gun rights, regulations, and abortion. He also supported a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, which voters approved in 2012 but was later struck down by the courts.
In 2014, Tillis helped Republicans take control of the U.S. Senate by narrowly defeating Democratic Senator Kay Hagan. Over his years in office, he focused on issues like mental health, substance abuse treatment, Medicaid expansion, and veterans’ support.
As a more moderate Republican, Tillis became known for sometimes working with Democrats on certain issues.
With inputs from AP
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