Republic Senator Retiring
-
Sen. Thom Tillis, a two-term North Carolina Republican who was expected to contest one of 2026’s toughest Senate races, tried to walk a fine line between President Donald Trump and his purple-state electorate.
It backfired spectacularly over the weekend, with Tillis announcing Sunday that he would not seek re-election less than a day after Trump publicly attacked him for voting “no” to advance his “big, beautiful bill.”
“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 announcing his decision.
and
His decision-making included two questions: Would GOP leaders have his back? And would Trump give him space to be independent if he ran?
It became clear to Tillis, the person said, that he wouldn’t be getting either of those things after Senate leaders made only minor changes to the megabill despite Tillis’ warnings and after Trump started publicly attacking him this weekend.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/29/thom-tillis-retires-00432045
