NC Sen. Thom Tillis' isn't running for 3rd term. What Trump, others are saying
North Carolina Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis made an unexpected decision not to seek a third term Sunday morning.
And it drew a sharp reaction from President Donald Trump: 'Great News! 'Senator' Thom Tillis will not be seeking reelection.'
The day before, the Republican president had threatened to find a primary-election challenger to Tillis — a former speaker of the state House — over his opposition to Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill.' The Huntersville resident argued the bill would hurt hospitals and rural North Carolinians with its Medicaid cuts.
On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump posted Saturday night saying he was already planning to meet with possible candidates in the weeks ahead to challenge Tillis for the 2026 midterms.
'Thom Tillis is making a BIG MISTAKE for America, and the Wonderful People of North Carolina!' Trump wrote in another Truth Social post Saturday night.
The next morning, Tillis announced it was 'not a hard choice' to take a step back and focus on family.
Attention was already on the upcoming race for Tillis' Senate seat, which is sure to be an indicator of Trump's favorability among North Carolina voters.
Democrats are preparing to prioritize the campaign for the Republican-held seat in what is certain to be a costly midterm.
North Carolina is a swing state, but has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 2008.
A Democratic political action committee, Senate Majority PAC, jumped on Tillis' announcement as an opportunity for change. The PAC's main objective is to win Senate races for Democratic candidates.
'Democrats were poised to win in North Carolina whether Thom Tillis' name was on the ballot in November 2026 or not. 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,' a spokesperson for the PAC, Lauren French, said in a press release.
However, the National Republican Senatorial Committee's chairman, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, said in a press release that after more than a decade of GOP representation in the Senate, North Carolina Republicans' hold on Tillis' seat would not be going away. Trump also won the state in the past three presidential elections.
'That streak will continue in 2026 when North Carolinians elect a conservative leader committed to advancing an agenda of opportunity, prosperity, and security,' the press release said.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, weighed in on X, saying that despite their political differences, he supported Tillis in voting against the 'big beautiful bill.'
'The Republican Party today is a cult. Either you do as Trump wants, or you're out,' Sanders said. 'Pathetic.'
Closer to home, Democratic Reps. Alma Adams of Charlotte and Deborah Ross of Raleigh both had positive things to say about Tillis, too.
Ross commended Tillis' time in the U.S. Senate and praised his decision to deny Trump's megabill as 'putting his commitment to the people of North Carolina above his loyalty to the leaders of the Republican Party.'
'It is imperative that our next senator is someone who will hold President Trump and his administration accountable,' her statement said.
Adams said she wanted to commend Tillis 'for his courage and commitment in doing the right thing for our country.'
His vote 'was a teachable moment to our youth about the importance of putting country before yourself,' she said.
North Carolina's former lieutenant governor, Republican Mark Robinson, was aligned with the MAGA wing of the GOP and often feuded with Tillis before losing the race for governor last year. Robinson responded to a post on X that said Tillis' decision to step down 'is the final nail in the coffin of the North Carolina Republican Party of years passed [sic].'
'I couldn't have said it better,' Robinson said.
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson added on X that 'the time was right' for Tillis to step down. Trump's bill would be devastating to North Carolina, he added.
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