North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, facing Trump primary threat, will not seek reelection in 2026

Sen. Thom Tillis, North Carolina Republican, said Sunday that he will not run for reelection in 2026, making his announcement less than 24 hours after President Trump threatened to back a primary challenger.

Mr. Trump bashed the senator on social media for his opposition to the “big, beautiful bill” and said he would be meeting with Republicans who want to run a primary campaign against the senator, a fact Mr. Tillis did not mention in a statement announcing his decision.

“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,” he said. 

“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,” he added.

Mr. Tillis voted Saturday against beginning debate on Mr. Trump’s legislative agenda package and said he would vote against final passage as well because the measure’s Medicaid overhaul would cause North Carolina to lose tens of billions in funding. 

“This will force the state to make painful decisions like eliminating Medicaid coverage for hundreds of thousands in the expansion population, and even reducing critical services for those in the traditional Medicaid population,” he said.

Soon after Mr. Tillis cast his “no” vote and while the procedural vote was still being held open as GOP leaders negotiated with other holdouts, Mr. Trump took to social media to blast the North Carolina Republican.

“North Carolina will not allow one of their Senators to GRANDSTAND in order to get some publicity for himself, for a possible, but very difficult Re-Election,” the president said. 

He slammed the Mr. Tillis for voting for a 68% tax increase – as that is what would happen if his first-term cuts expire at the end of the year – and against no tax on tips, overtime and some Social Security benefits, among other GOP priorities in the bill.

In a subsequent post, Mr. Trump said “numerous people” have offered to run in a GOP primary against Mr. Tillis and that he would be meeting with them over the coming weeks.

The president didn’t let go of his ire and on Sunday put out another post saying Mr. Tillis is “even worse” than Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, the only other Republican who has committed to voting against his legislative package. 

“Thom Tillis has hurt the great people of North Carolina. Even on the catastrophic flooding, nothing was done to help until I took office,” Mr. Trump said. “Then a miracle took place! Tillis is a talker and complainer, not a doer!”

Mr. Tillis, in announcing his plan to exit Congress in a year and a half, lamented the hyperpartisanship that has taken hold in Washington in recent years. 

“It’s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species,” he said. 

Mr. Tillis said Democrats lost two such senators who “got things done” but were shunned for refusing to cave to party bosses and “nuke the filibuster for the sake of political expediency.”

While he did not name those Democrats, he was clearly referring to former Sens. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, both of whom retired and now registered independents. 

“It underscores the greatest form of hypocrisy in American politics,” Mr. Tillis said. “When people see independent thinking on the other side, they cheer. But when those very same people see independent thinking coming from their side, they scorn, ostracize, and even censure them.”

That was as far as Mr. Tillis went in his statement to allude to the president’s attacks on him.

The senator touted accomplishments he is proud of from his Senate career. Some were partisan efforts, like passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and confirming three conservative Supreme Court justices in Mr. Trump’s first term.

Others were bipartisan victories, like “the largest investment in mental health in American history,” a massive infrastructure bill and the Respect for Marriage Act.

“Sometimes those bipartisan initiatives got me into trouble with my own party, but I wouldn’t have changed a single one,” he said.

The North Carolina Republican Party voted to censure Mr. Tillis in 2023 for his vote on the same-sex marriage bill and a gun-control package. 

Mr. Tillis said he is looking forward to his final 18 months in the Senate where can focus on “meaningful results without the distraction of raising money or campaigning for another election.” 

North Carolina had already been a top target for Democrats in 2026 as they face tough odds of being able to flip enough seats to retake control of the Senate. 

Mr. Tillis’ decision not to run likely makes Democrats’ job easier, since incumbents are typically harder to unseat. But it will all depend on whom each party selects to run in the general election.

“Thom Tillis’ decision not to run for reelection is another blow to Republicans’ chances as they face a midterm backlash that puts their majority at risk,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Maeve Coyle said. “Even Tillis admits the GOP plan to slash Medicaid and spike costs for families is toxic – and in 2026, Democrats will flip North Carolina’s Senate seat.” 

So far one Democrat, former Rep. Wiley Nickel, an attorney who served one term in the House, has entered the race. Mr. Tillis’ exit could draw more Democrats into the race. Many in the party are hoping former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper will run.

Mr. Trump did not name the Republicans who had been interested in challenging Mr. Tillis.

Some potential candidates being floated by political operatives and reporters on social media include Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley, Rep. Pat Harrigan, and Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law and a Wilmington native.