Thom Tillis Announces Retirement Hours After Trump Threatened To Field Primary Challenger

Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis will not seek reelection, according to a statement released by his office Sunday afternoon.

Tillis’ retirement announcement came just hours after President Donald Trump threatened to back a primary challenger over the senator’s decision to vote against advancing the president’s tax and immigration bill. The North Carolina Republican was viewed as one of the most vulnerable GOP senators up for reelection in 2026 and was expected to face a competitive Democratic opponent.

“In Washington over the last few years, it’s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species,” Tillis said in a statement. “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.”

“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,” Tillis added. “ It’s not a hard choice, and I will not be seeking re-election.”

Tillis became the target of Trump’s ire after he announced he would be opposing a procedural vote to advance the Senate version of Trump’s “big, beautiful” bill. The North Carolina Republican balked at throwing his support behind the president’s sweeping tax and immigration bill, citing its ambitious reforms to Medicaid that he argued would result in his constituents losing access to health care.

Trump fired off three posts on the social media platform Truth Social Saturday night and Sunday morning excoriating Tillis’ “no” vote and threatening to field a primary challenge against him.

“Numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the Primary against ‘Senator Thom’ Tillis,” Trump