'Conservative vs. chameleon': GOP activist launches longshot effort to unseat Tillis

Andy Nilsson, a Winston-Salem teacher assistant and football coach, has launched the first primary challenge to U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis.

Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (left) is facing a primary challenge from GOP activist Andy Nilsson (right).

Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis officially has his first primary challenger.

Andy Nilsson, a GOP activist, teacher assistant, football coach and retired businessman kicked off his campaign on Monday. And he’s fully aware of his longshot odds of taking down the formidable incumbent.

“It is a big hill to climb, but it's not impossible,” Nilsson said in an interview. “One thing that we've got going for us is time. We've got almost 14 months before the primary. … Among the Republican base, which is, you know, base, there is tremendous antipathy towards Senator Tillis.”

Central to Nilsson’s campaign is a message that Tillis is insufficiently loyal to President Donald Trump. And if there are enough candidates in the race to peel off votes from Tillis, Nilsson thinks he’d fare well in a one-on-one runoff.

“What we're aiming for is to get in the second primary with Tillis,” Nilsson said. “And that, I think, is very doable. Once we do that, we’ve won it. I have no question about that because it's me against Tillis. It's conservative versus chameleon. And I'll win that.”

But Tillis comes in with hefty support from state party leaders, scores of endorsements from his Senate colleagues and plenty of money at his disposal. Nilsson, on the other hand, has never been elected. He handily lost a lieutenant governor primary in 2000, and he has since made public comments sharply critical of Trump that could sour the Trump base.

“Senator Tillis worked hard to help President Trump win in North Carolina in 2020 and again in 2024,” said Abby Roesch, Tillis’ campaign manager. “Unlike Mr. Nilsson, his record regarding who he supported for president has been clear. The senator will continue to work in partnership with the president as they fight the radical agenda still being pursued by the Democratic Party.”

In 2019, Nilsson submitted a letter to the editor of the Charlotte Observer, writing that Trump was “not upholding the ideals of our party and our country.” Nilsson added that the Trump administration “violates duties of office with callous indifference” and that Trump himself had bungled a number of foreign policy issues.

“His power must be checked by other Republicans,” Nilsson wrote.

Like many in the GOP, Nilsson has since had a change of heart and is staunchly supportive of Trump. He said he’d end his candidacy if the president’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, or former U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop (whom Trump has tapped for a budgetary role in his administration) were to challenge Tillis.