Tillis not seeking reelection in 2026
Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis announced on Sunday that he won't be seeking reelection.
North Carolina U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis won’t be seeking reelection this year, setting up an open primary within the Republican Party for one of the most hotly contest seats in the 2026 midterms.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
The decision follows an intense intraparty debate over a sweeping bill that President Donald Trump is pushing, which Tillis fears could harm North Carolinians on Medicaid.
After Tillis voted against starting debate Saturday night on the "big, beautiful bill," Trump said he’d look into alternatives to Tillis for the 2026 election.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Anderson Alerts to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.