CNN
By Michael Williams, CNN
(CNN) — Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina announced Sunday he is not seeking reelection next year, a day after he was one of only two Republicans who voted against advancing President Donald Trump’s sweeping agenda bill.
Tillis had expressed concern about the impact that cuts to Medicaid would have on his constituents, and Trump threatened on Saturday to back a primary challenger to his seat. The president said that Tillis was “making a BIG MISTAKE” and that he would meet with those looking to mount primary challenges against the North Carolina senator “over the coming weeks.”
Tillis, 64, said in his statement that his decision was “not a hard choice” and expressed a desire to spend more time with his family.
“I look forward to having the pure freedom to call the balls and strikes as I see fit and representing the great people of North Carolina to the best of my ability,” he said.
Trump said on social media Sunday that Tillis’ announcement was “Great News!”
Tillis told reporters in the Capitol later Sunday that he had informed Trump on Saturday night he wasn’t going to seek reelection. “I left assuming that we had a meeting of the minds, and then that didn’t turn out so,” he said.
Asked whether he feels like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders, Tillis quipped, “I never have a weight on my shoulders. I slept like a baby last night.”
Tillis’ Senate seat in North Carolina, a battleground state, will be crucial for Republicans to keep next year if they want to maintain their narrow majority in the chamber.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune called Tillis’ announcement “unfortunate,” but said it was “obviously something I think that he’d been thinking about for a while and just finally decided that was the best decision for him and his family, so I respect the decision.”
The South Dakota Republican, who said he knew of Tillis’ decision before the senator announced it, added that he “will look forward to continuing to serve with him for the last couple years here and then winning his seat in the next election.”
A thorn in Trump’s side
Tillis, North Carolina’s senior senator, first entered the Senate in 2015 after serving in the state legislature, including as speaker of the House. In his most recent victory, he narrowly maintained his Senate seat in the 2020 election by less than 2 percentage points.
Tillis built a reputation as being a GOP swing vote who was one of very few Republicans left in Congress willing to voice opposition to Trump’s policies, dating back to both of their first terms. This year the senator was a thorn in Trump’s side as the president tried to push through some of his most controversial nominees who required Senate approval.
Tillis — who sits on the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, which is responsible for advancing the president’s judicial nominees — opposed the effort to confirm Ed Martin, Trump’s choice to serve as US attorney for Washington, DC, because of Martin’s previous denigrating of officers who responded to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Martin’s nomination was eventually withdrawn by Trump.
In his Sunday statement, Tillis decried the lack of bipartisan cooperation in today’s Washington, saying, “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.”
The senator added: “Too many elected officials are motivated by pure raw politics who really don’t give a damn about the people they promised to represent on the campaign trail.”
Tillis had long been wavering on supporting Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” and expressed concern over how many people in his state would lose Medicaid coverage. He was one of two Republican senators, the other being Rand Paul of Kentucky, who voted against advancing the measure.
Speaking on the Senate floor Sunday, Tillis reiterated his concern that the bill would hurt Americans eligible for Medicaid. “Now, Republicans are about to make a mistake on health care and betraying a promise,” he said, adding, “We owe it to the American people, and I owe it to the people of North Carolina, to withhold my affirmative vote until it’s demonstrated to me that we’ve done our homework.”
Democrats look to 2026 opportunity
The senator’s announcement was met with enthusiasm and optimism from Democrats, with the state party chair saying, “Thom Tillis spent years putting DC Republicans and corporate donors ahead of the people of North Carolina, and voters noticed.”
“We look forward to next November when North Carolinians will finally elect a senator that will actually fight for North Carolina,” Chair Anderson Clayton added.
Lauren French, a spokesperson for Senate Majority PAC, Democrats’ main super PAC targeting Senate races, echoed the sentiment, saying, “Democrats were poised to win in North Carolina whether Thom Tillis’ name was on the ballot in November 2026 or not.”
Among the potential Democratic candidates is former Gov. Roy Cooper, who is considering a run, according to source familiar with his thinking. Tillis’ announcement does not impact Cooper’s thinking on a potential bid, the source added.
Meanwhile, the state’s Republican Party chair, Jason Simmons, said in a brief statement that “we look forward to holding this seat for Republicans in 2026 and continuing to deliver on President Trump’s America First priorities.”
After Trump said Tillis’ announcement was “great news,” the North Carolina senator seemed to warn the president about his potential replacement in the 2026 Senate election. “Thanks for the retirement wishes, Mr. President, looking forward to working with you for a successful 2026. Word to the wise, let’s avoid minisoldr,” Tillis posted on X with a link to an article from 2024 in which Trump praised Mark Robinson, former GOP nominee for North Carolina governor.
“Minisoldr” was the screen name Robinson used on a porn forum where he made disturbing comments, including referring to himself as a “black nazi,” which CNN’s KFile uncovered last year. Robinson lost the gubernatorial election to Democrat Josh Stein.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
CNN’s David Wright, Dianne Gallagher, Nicky Robertson, Arlette Saenz, Julia Benbrook and Betul Tuncer contributed to this report.
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