N.C. Sen. Thom Tillis Announces His Retirement

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Republican Sen. Thom Tillis will not seek reelection, he announced Sunday, a stunning decision that leaves Republicans scrambling to defend his seat in North Carolina. 

Tillis’ move will send shockwaves through both the Senate and his home state, where Democrats had already marked him as their top target for the 2026 midterm election. 

“As many of my colleagues have noticed over the last year, and at times even joked about, I haven’t exactly been excited about running for another term. That is true since the choice is between spending another six years navigating the political theatre and partisan gridlock in Washington or spending that time with the love of my life Susan, our two children, three beautiful grandchildren, and the rest of our extended family back home. It’s not a hard choice, and I will not be seeking re-election.” 

The senator, first elected in 2014, had drawn intense criticism in recent days from President Donald Trump, who had threatened to back a primary challenge to him. Tillis had angered many conservatives when he announced his opposition to the Republican-backed reconciliation bill currently being considered in the Senate—the bill is the centerpiece of Trump’s legislative agenda. 

Two Republican sources familiar with the situation said there was discussion about Tillis resigning immediately from the Senate, although he ultimately opted against doing so. 

Another Republican operative said GOP strategists had discussed potential Tillis replacements for months, because polls showed him performing poorly in hypothetical matchups of next year’s election. A generic Republican performed better in those surveys, they said. 

Two sources added that one potential candidate to watch out for is Rep. Richard Hudson, who currently chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee. One source said that Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law and former co-chair of the Republican National Committee, is seriously considering a bid for the Senate seat.

Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley is also considering a bid, the source told NOTUS. One RNC official pushed back on this, saying that Whatley is “not actively considering a bid for the North Carolina Senate seat.”

Republican operatives also believe Rep. Pat Harrigan—a first-year lawmaker who was previously a Green Beret—would make a solid choice.

Democrats have hoped that former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper would run for Tillis’ seat next year, convinced that the popular former statewide official would make for the party’s strongest candidate. Cooper has not yet said whether he’ll launch a campaign, with his decision widely expected later this summer. Former Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel launched his campaign for the seat earlier this year. 

Tillis served as the speaker of the state House in North Carolina before taking on former Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan in 2014, winning in one of that year’s closely fought races. He won a difficult reelection in 2020, defeating Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham after his opponent was damaged by a sext-related scandal. 

Reese Gorman is a politics reporter at NOTUS, covering President Donald Trump and Congress. He previously reported for The Daily Beast and Washington Examiner.

Alex Roarty is a reporter at NOTUS. He was previously a reporter for McClatchy newspapers, Roll Call, and National Journal.