Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) announced Sunday that he will not seek reelection in 2026.
Tillis’ announcement came hours after Tillis voted against President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. In return, Trump said he was ready to amass competitors to run against Tillis in the primary, per ABC News.
Tillis said it was “not a hard choice” to not seek a third term. He added he was done “navigating the political theatre and partisan gridlock in Washington.”
The senator opposed the bill because of its Medicaid provisions. The president accused Tillis of “grandstanding.” He said Tillis was “making a BIG MISTAKE for America, and the Wonderful People of North Carolina!”
When Tillis announced he would not seek reelection, Trump called it “Great News!” on social media.
In his announcement, Tillis wrote about former Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.). Both retired last cycle.
“They were shunned after they courageously refused to cave to their party bosses,” Tillis wrote. “It’s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species.”
“It underscores the greatest form of hypocrisy in American politics. 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,” Tillis continued.
Tillis noted that more than 600,000 North Carolinians’ Medicaid coverage would be at risk. He wanted his colleagues to understand the ramifications.
“I just encouraged other members to go to their states and just measure how….take a look at the proposed cuts and tell me whether or not you can absorb it in the normal course of business, and in many cases, you’re gonna find that you can’t,” Tillis said last week.
“I think it’s a matter of doing smart policy, and that’s all I’m suggesting here,” he continued.
