WASHINGTON — Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., announced Sunday that he would not run for re-election, one day after he drew President Donald Trump’s ire for opposing the party’s sweeping domestic policy package.
The surprise decision opens up seat in battleground North Carolina that was already set to be one of the most hotly contested races of the 2026 midterms.
Tillis issued a lengthy statement about his decision, saying he had not been enthusiastic about seeking a third six-year term in the Senate.
“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,” Tillis said. “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.”
After Tillis voted against advancing the GOP’s massive domestic policy bill Saturday, Trump attacked him in a series of social media posts and threatened to meet with potential primary challengers.
“Thom Tillis is making a BIG MISTAKE for America, and the Wonderful People of North Carolina!” Trump wrote Saturday night on Truth Social.
Tillis told reporters Sunday that he informed both Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune of his decision to forgo re-election Saturday night. He said that he did not read any of Trump’s critical posts of him on Truth Social, including the president’s pledge to meet with people who launch primary challenges against Tillis.
“I told him, actually, via text that he probably needed to start looking for a replacement anyway, before he posted that. So I appreciate him getting to work,” Tillis said, adding that he wants to help Trump find a good candidate to ensure “a successful 2026.”
In his statement, Tillis compared himself to former Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona — both of whom became independents by the end of their tenures — without explicitly naming them.
“Democrats recently lost two such leaders who were dedicated to making the Senate more of a functional and productive legislative body. They got things done. But they were shunned after they courageously refused to cave to their party bosses to nuke the filibuster for the sake of political expediency. They ultimately retired and their presence in the Senate chamber has been sorely missed every day since,” Tillis said.
“It underscores the greatest form of hypocrisy in American politics. When people see independent thinking on the other side, they cheer. But when those very same people see independent thinking coming from their side, they scorn, ostracize, and even censure them,” he continued.
Asked Sunday whether there’s room to disagree with Trump in the Republican party, Tillis said “if you have the courage to.”
“If you don’t, there isn’t. It’s all what you want to do as an individual member,” he said.
Prior to Saturday’s vote, Tillis had privately warned his colleagues that the Medicaid cuts in the party’s “big, beautiful bill” would cost them politically.
During a floor debate over the bill Sunday, Tillis said the health care cuts in the funding package amount to a betrayal of the American people, particularly after Trump urged lawmakers to target only waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid and other entitlement programs.
“Now, Republicans are about to make a mistake on health care and betraying a promise,” Tillis said. “It is inescapable that this bill in its current form will betray the very promise that Donald J. Trump made in the Oval Office or in the Cabinet room when I was there [with the Finance Committee], when he said we can go after waste, fraud and abuse on any programs.”
Republicans are now forced to scramble to find a replacement for Tillis in a race that is a top target for Democrats in next year’s midterms.
A source close to the Trump family said Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law and former Republican National Committee co-chair, is “strongly considering” jumping into the contest.
Asked about the odds she will run, the source said, “I’d put it as high as one could be considering it.”
Another potential contender, according to a GOP strategist familiar with the matter, is Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., who has aligned himself closely with Trump. But his role as chair of House Republicans’ campaign arm could complicate a Senate bid, and it’s unclear whether if he would need to step down from his leadership post to run.
A source close to Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C. said the congressman is looking at the seat. RNC Chairman Mike Whatley, who formerly chaired the North Carolina GOP, is also seen as a potential candidate.
National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott expressed confidence the party would be able to defend the seat without Tillis in the race.
“President Trump has won North Carolina three times, and the state’s been represented by two Republican Senators for over a decade,” Scott, R-S.C., said in a statement. “That streak will continue in 2026 when North Carolinians elect a conservative leader committed to advancing an agenda of opportunity, prosperity, and security.”
But Democrats are now even more optimistic about their chances in North Carolina next year as they seek to cut into the GOP’s 53-47 majority.
“Thom Tillis’ decision not to run for reelection is another blow to Republicans’ chances as they face a midterm backlash that puts their majority at risk,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Maeve Coyle said in a statement. “Even Tillis admits the GOP plan to slash Medicaid and spike costs for families is toxic — and in 2026, Democrats will flip North Carolina’s Senate seat.”
Democrats are hopeful they can recruit former Gov. Roy Cooper to enter the contest, which already features former Rep. Wiley Nickel, D-N.C.
“No matter which MAGA loyalist Donald Trump hand-picks to run in North Carolina, I’m the Democrat who’s ready to take them on and win,” Nickel said in a statement Sunday. “I’ve flipped a tough seat before and we’re going to do it again.”
