North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis Announces Retirement

The Republican won't run for re-election in 2026 after opposing President Donald Trump's tax bill.

Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a Republican, has today announced that he will not pursue re-election in 2026. The news came a day after he voted against the reconciliation bill due to its devastating impact on his state’s Medicaid system. President Donald Trump has already posted multiple times about wanting a primary challenger in the race. Tillis will now complete his Senate tenure after two six-year terms in office.

Tillis, 64, becomes the seventh Senator to retire during the 2026 cycle and the third Republican to do so. The 2026 Senate cycle will see 35 contested races - 33 regular elections and 2 special elections. Republicans currently hold 22 of these seats while Democrats represent the remaining 13.

Tillis has represented North Carolina in the U.S. Senate since January 2015. The seat was already expected to be one of the most competitive contests next year. Without an incumbent, Democrats will view it as a key pickup opportunity as they seek to regain control of the upper legislative chamber of Congress.

In 1990, Tillis was recruited to work for the accounting and consulting firm Price Waterhouse. In 1996, he was promoted to partner. In 2002, the consulting arm was sold to IBM and he moved to the new company as well. He soon began his political career with a two-year term on the Cornelius Town Commission.

In 2006, Tillis challenged two-term Republican incumbent John Rhodes in the primary for District 98 in the North Carolina House of Representatives. He secured the nomination with a 63.0-37.0 victory. He won unopposed in every general election for the seat. He served from January 2007 to January 2015. He was the chamber’s Speaker from January 2011 to January 2015.

In 2014, Tillis ran in the Republican primary for the right to challenge one-term Democratic incumbent Kay Hagan in the U.S. Senate. He secured the nomination with 45.7% in the eight-candidate primary. In the general election, he flipped control of the seat with a 48.8-47.3 plurality against the incumbent as part of the cycle’s Red Wave. Despite being heavily targeted in 2020, he was ultimately re-elected with a 48.7-46.9 plurality against Democrat Cal Cunningham.

During the 119th Congress, Tillis serves on the Senate Committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Finance; the Judiciary; and Veterans’ Affairs. Furthermore, he chairs the Banking Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection as well as the Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property.

Tillis becomes the second Senator departing both the Banking and Finance panels alongside Tina Smith of Minnesota. Furthermore, he becomes the second Senator leaving the Judiciary committee - joining Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois. And finally, he becomes the second Senator exiting the Veterans’ Affairs panel - following Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.

Before today’s announcement, Tillis was already being challenged in the Republican primary by author Don Brown and teacher’s assistant Andy Nilsson. Plenty of ambitious state Republicans will now be looking at the race as it’s still possible to retain the seat for the GOP. It may be more difficult if the party picks a radical nominee to represent the swing state though.

Meanwhile, former U.S. Representative Wiley Nickel has had the Democratic primary to himself since April 2025. While the party expects a competitive general election, everyone has been waiting for former Governor Roy Cooper to decide whether or not to compete. If he does, he will be viewed as the strongest candidate as he has already won six statewide races - four for Attorney General and two for Governor. Regardless though, the Democratic nominee will have the resources for a solid campaign.

Despite being a swing state, North Carolina has supported the Republican nominee for President every cycle since 1968 - except for Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Barack Obama in 2008. In the 2024 contest, Republican Donald Trump carried the state by a 50.9-47.7 margin against Democrat Kamala Harris in his ultimately successful national campaign.

However, Democrats have controlled the Governor’s office since January 2017. In fact, Democrat Josh Stein put in a landslide 54.9-40.1 performance on the same 2024 ballot as a result of facing off against the toxic Republican nominee, Mark Robinson.