‘Leaders are willing to embrace compromise': Senator Tillis won't seek reelection in 2026 after opposing Trump's bill
Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said on Sunday that he will not run for reelection in 2026, a surprise decision that followed his public opposition to President Donald Trump's tax and spending proposal, which includes cuts to healthcare programs.
His decision creates a political opportunity for Democrats seeking to bolster their numbers in the 2026 midterm elections, creating a wide-open Senate race in a state that has long been a contested battleground. It could also make Tillis a wild card in a party where few lawmakers are willing to risk Trump's wrath by opposing his agenda or actions, as reported by the Associated Press.
Trump had already been threatening him with a primary challenge, and posted Sunday that Tillis' announcement was 'Great News!'
'In Washington over the last few years, it's become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species,' Tillis said in a lengthy statement.
Tillis said he was proud of his career in public service but acknowledged the difficult political environment for those who buck their party and go it alone.
'I look forward to having the pure freedom to call the balls and strikes as I see fit and representing the great people of North Carolina to the best of my ability,' Tillis said in the statement.
Republicans hold a 53-47 edge in the Senate.
In a series of social media posts, Trump lashed out at Senator Thom Tillis for being one of only two Republican senators who voted on Saturday night against advancing the sweeping tax bill.
Trump accused Tillis of voting 'no' for attention and threatened to campaign against him in the future. He also criticised the senator's response to last year's Hurricane Helene flooding in western North Carolina, claiming Tillis had done little to assist his constituents. 'Tillis is a talker and complainer, NOT A DOER,' Trump wrote.
Some said Tillis' decision is another sign of the dramatic transformation of the Republican Party under Trump, with few lawmakers critical of the president or his agenda remaining in office.
It 'proves there is no space within the Republican Party to dissent over taking health care away from 11.8 million people,' said Lauren French, spokesperson for the Senate Majority PAC, a political committee aligned with the chamber's Democratic members.
Elected in 2014 after narrowly defeating Democratic Senator Kay Hagan, Thom Tillis played a key role in helping Republicans gain control of the U.S. Senate.
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