Tillis says ‘It’s not a hard choice’…

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis stunningly announced Sunday that he won’t seek reelection after drawing President Trump’s wrath over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, leaving a vulnerable GOP seat up for grabs.

Just before his sudden announcement, the Republican senator had rankled Trump by voting against advancing the marquee Trump legislation because of his concerns about the Medicaid provisions in the megabill.

“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 Sunday.

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

After GOP Sen. Susan Collins’ seat in Maine, Tillis was widely viewed as the next most vulnerable incumbent senator. Republicans will have to defend a total of 19 Senate seats up for grabs in 2026, compared to the Democrats’ 14.

Shortly after Tillis’ shock announcement, rumors swirled that the president’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, may run for his open seat. The former Republican National Committee co-chair was born in Wilmington, NC.

She has previously faced speculation that she may try to enter Old North State politics, though she declined to do so in the 2022 cycle when former Sen. Richard Burr’s (R-NC) seat opened up.

Speculation has also mounted that RNC Chair Michael Whatley, who previously led the state’s Republican Party, could pursue Tillis’ seat.

North Carolina is one of the top recent seven battleground states. While the president won the state in November, Republicans were dealt a blow when GOP former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson got shellacked in the governor’s race. Robinson had been dogged by a scandal after his alleged past messages on the porn site Nude Africa resurfaced.

Tillis, who was previously state speaker of the House, was first elected to the US Senate in 2014 and is in his second term. Conservative critics had mused about backing a primary effort against him.

The North Carolina Republican alluded to former Sens. Kyrsten Sinema’s (I-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin’s (I-WV) departure from the Senate and grumbled about partisan politics in his statement.

“When people sue 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 bemoaned. “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.”

“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.”