GOP's Tillis pulls plug on re-election bid after battling Trump: report

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) made a surprise announcement on Sunday afternoon that he will not run for re-election in 2026.

The North Carolina Republican issued a statement hours after Donald Trump attacked him once more on Truth Social for not supporting the GOP-authored megabill.

According to a report from Axios, "Tillis faced a brutal fight to keep his seat, both in the general election and with the potential of Trump-backed primary challengers.

In a statement he claimed, "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, and the rest of our extended family back home."

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