Overview

• Senator Thom Tillis announced on June 29 that he will not seek reelection in 2026, saying he wants to spend more time with his family instead of another six years in Washington.
• His retirement followed his vote against advancing President Trump’s tax and spending cut megabill, which prompted Trump to threaten support for a primary challenger on Truth Social.
• Tillis’s departure creates an open North Carolina Senate seat that both parties now view as a key battleground in the 2026 election.
• Trump and his allies have already begun interviewing potential candidates to contest the Republican primary for Tillis’s soon-to-be-vacant seat.
• Political analysts had flagged Tillis as vulnerable to a brutal reelection fight due to a competitive general electorate and possible Trump-backed primary opponents.