Experts weigh in on Tillis not seeking re-election, and who could run instead
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Senator Thom Tillis will not run for re-election next year.
The announcement comes one day after President Donald Trump threatened to support other Republicans planning to challenge Tillis for the Senate seat.
'Thom Tillis was going to have a tough primary fight, but it didn't look like anything that he couldn't win,' said Dr. Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University. 'There was no one who had declared who was very prominent, who's already running against him. And so to get this kind of announcement on a Sunday was a-it was a shock.'
Senator Tillis's surprise decision not to seek re-election will open up a seat in what is expected to be one of the most competitive U.S. Senate elections next fall. The announcement comes after President Trump attacked the senator over his opposition to the 'Big Beautiful Bill'.
The president took to Truth Social Saturday night, saying, 'Numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the primary against Senator Thom Tillis. I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks, looking for someone who will properly represent the great people of North Carolina and, so importantly, the United States of America.'
'I think certainly going against the president meant that he would have a potential primary challenger who could receive Trump's endorsement,' said Dr. Michael Bitzer, a political science professor at Catawba College. 'And we know that Trump's endorsement in this state in Republican party primary politics carries a lot of weight.'
Then again, Sunday morning, Trump put out another post, reading, 'Thom Tillis has hurt the great people of North Carolina.' He went on to say, 'Tillis is a talker and a complainer, not a doer!'
About three hours later, Tillis sent out a statement saying he would not run for Senate again.
'So 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,' said Tillis. '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.'
'There's no question that Tillis's opposition to the Big Beautiful Bill, Trump attacking Tillis on Truth Social definitely had something to do with it,' said Cooper. 'I mean, I doubt this was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Sounds like he was leading in that direction anyway, and this was kind of the last straw.'
Now the question is, who will run for the empty seat?
'I think everybody on the Democratic side is waiting for what will former Governor Roy Cooper do,' said Bitzer. 'He has left himself open to the possibility of running. He would probably be the strongest Democratic candidate if he chooses to pursue that.'
Former U.S. Representative Wiley Nickel has already announced his candidacy on the democratic side.
As for Republicans, there are some questions.
'Does Laura Trump decide to, you know, throw her hat into the ring?' said Bitzer. 'She would be, ideally, the top republican candidate to get the nomination.'
If not the president's daughter-in-law, there are some other names floating around.
'Michael Whatley, he used to be head of the North Carolina GOP and is now co-chair of the National GOP,' said Cooper. 'Pat Harrigan is a name that a lot of folks have talked about. He's a first-term member of Congress. Brad Knott is another name people have talked about. Another first-term member of Congress.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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