Tillis Won’t Seek Reelection After Trump Primary Threat (2)

North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis said he won’t seek reelection following a primary threat from President Donald Trump.

“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,” the Republican said in a statement Sunday. “It’s not a hard choice, and I will not be seeking reelection.”

Senator Thom Tillis

Photographer: Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg

Tillis was one of the most vulnerable senators up for reelection in 2026. The decision could help Senate Democrats’ uphill quest to flip the Senate in the 2026 midterm election.

Democratic Senator Alex Padilla of California said the seat is a prime pickup opportunity. “It was high on the list even before his announcement,” he said in an interview.

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott,who chairs the Senate GOP campaign arm, said he expects the seat to remain in Republican hands.

“President Trump has won North Carolina three times, and the state’s been represented by two Republican Senators for over a decade,” Scott said in a statement, which didn’t mention Tillis. “That streak will continue in 2026.”

Pivotal Vote

On Saturday, Tillis voted to oppose advancing Trump’s tax and spending bill, drawing the ire of the president.

Trump on social media called Tillis “a talker and complainer, NOT A DOER!,” blamed the senator for a slow response to catastrophic floods and said he was speaking with several candidates to launch a Republican primary bid.

Tillis has said he would vote against passing Trump’s signature tax and spending bill, citing cuts to Medicaid and renewable energy subsidies that he said would hurt his constituents and constrain jobs in his state.

Tillis’ decision to not seek reelection could portend trouble for the tax bill currently moving though the Senate. Republicans can only afford to lose three votes in order for the bill to pass. Senators are planning to vote on the bill as soon as Monday.

Democrats believe the Trump tax bill will prove unpopular and be a key issue in the midterms.

“Democrats were poised to win in North Carolina whether Thom Tillis’ name was on the ballot in November 2026 or not,” Senate Majority PAC Spokesperson Lauren French said in a statement. “But his early retirement proves there is no space within the Republican party to dissent over taking health care away from 11.8 million people by destroying Medicaid and raising costs.”

Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump has flirted with running for Senate from North Carolina in the past.

Tillis was first elected to the Senate in 2014.

Read More: Trump Threatens to Find Tillis Challenger for Key Senate Seat

(An earlier version was corrected to reflect that Tim Scott represents South Carolina.)

To contact the reporters on this story:
Laura Davison in Washington at ldavison4@bloomberg.net;
Erik Wasson in Washington at ewasson@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Mario Parker at mparker22@bloomberg.net

Kevin Whitelaw

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