The main legislation of President Trump, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, has taken a significant step forward in the Senate. Although it is not finalized yet, it has moved closer towards approval.
Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) did not support the bill, causing President Trump to express his disapproval and pledge to meet with any contenders challenging Tillis in the primaries. Subsequently, Senator Tillis declared on Sunday that he will not run for re-election in 2026.
Sen. Thom Tillis won’t run for re-election in 2026, the North Carolina Republican announced Sunday.
Significance: Tillis was expected to face tough opposition in retaining his Senate seat, both in the general election and amidst possible primary challengers supported by Trump.
- “It’s not a hard choice, and I will not be seeking re-election,” Tillis said in a statement announcing his plans.
- He was first elected to the Senate in 2014.
Look, everyone has their priorities and principles, but Senator Tillis (and a few others) should also know that their stands on principle could be costly. But the curious bit is why they would vote against even beginning debate on the bill. One would think, if Senator Tillis (and those few others) have serious issues with the bill, they would want it brought into the open, debated, and discussed, when and where they could make their cases.
Instead, he voted to shut it down before that could happen.
Zoom in: Tillis voted against starting debate Saturday night on the “big, beautiful bill,” and told lawmakers he’d also oppose the final version over its cuts to Medicaid.
- In response, President Trump said he’d meet with Tillis’s challengers and accused the North Carolinian of grandstanding.
The One Big Beautiful Bill cleared that hurdle regardless. Even the Great Land’s own Princess Lisa Murkowski, no friend of President Trump, agreed that the bill should move to the next step.
