Tillis (apparently) not running for reelection
Donald Trump got mad at our senior senator for voting against his Big Beautiful Bill. Trump posted on Truth Social that he would be meeting with potential primary challengers for Tillis.
Now, Thom’s friends in the drive-by media are reporting THIS:
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., announced Sunday that he would not run for re-election, one day after he opposed a sweeping bill for President Donald Trump’s agenda.
The two-term Republican issued a lengthy statement about his decision, saying he has not been enthusiastic about seeking another six-year term in the Senate.
“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,” Tillis said. “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.”
Tillis’ seat in battleground North Carolina was already a top target for Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections. […]
With Phil Berger‘s 2026 primary for the state senate, and now an open seat for US Senate, what was supposed to be a quiet off-year vote is beginning to look like quite a ruckus.
Just to go ahead and make it clear: Michael Whatley is not an acceptable candidate for US Senate. Go ahead and get that idea out of your head.
I know there are people around Trump who appear to be impressed with Whatley. Many of us down here know Whatley for aiding and abetting the stomping on and screwing over of conservatives. He bragged about being the first party chairman to disown and show disdain for the J6ers.
Mark Robinson is also unacceptable. Balanced Nutrition is about the mishandling of government money. He worked for Balanced Nutrition. Even though his wife’s name was on it, it was part HIS. His wife and daughter are already on the hook for paying the taxpayers back more than $101,000. Further scrutiny of Balanced Nutrition’s books will likely find a lot more *problems.* (There is also an issue of Balanced Nutrition applying for and accepting Paycheck Protect loans — which they did not appear to qualify for — from the feds during the COVID lockdown.). Read the posts in our Balanced Nutrition archive. at the top of this page. Mark and Yolanda need to get Balanced Nutrition straightened out before they even think about coming back and asking for our trust. That’s OUR MONEY they owe.
The only members of our congressional delegation who ARE acceptable and worth considering? Mark Harris, Pat Harrigan, and Brad Knott. (The rest of them can go pound sand and get back to their grifting.)
NOT Whatley nor any of Tillis’ inner circle, Berger, et als.
MUST be a known conservative; especially to the rural areas to offset, RDU, Mecklenburg, Triad.
Those already in the ring DO NOT possess known characteristics to win this race, esp to a coop race!!
May as well cause a spade a spade.
I wonder if Tillis was just putting on a dog and pony show to do a handoff to his longtime good buddy Michael Whatley. It was Tillis who recruited Whatley to run for NCGOP chairman. The way Whatley tells it, first Tillis told him to find somebody to run and then told him to run himself. Tillis had to expect Trump’s reaction to his vote against the BBB. There have been rumblings for weeks about Whatley recruiting a US Senate campaign committee. It is unlikely that all of this just happened. Whatley’s appearance at the recent state GOP convention was just all too convenient and he got time on the podium that no other Senate candidate got.
Tillis would have been a lead anchor on the whole GOP ticket, so the party dodged a bullet there. A former lobbyist like Whatley is not going to be that helpful, but he does not have as strong negatives as Tillis. Not only would a more conservative candidate be a better senator but also probably a better votegetter. We do not need the baggage or campaign incompetence of a Mark Robinson but there are other good choices out there. NC native Lara Trump is one that is intriguing.
Does Lara Trump live in NC or Fla?
She grew up in Wilmington and graduated from NC State. There is still time before the filing deadline to move her voter registration but she ought to do it soon. A similar move by Elizabeth Dole to move her registration to Rowan County where she grew up in time to file worked okay and she got elected.
Lara Trump running would mean no Donald Trump endorsement for Whatley.
Seeing Mark Robinson very active on social media. regarding Tillis departing. Certainly, certain, please no, he’s getting in this race? Would one think he’s been disgraced enough?!
The President will make the call and clear the deck. No one is a serious candidate without Trump.
You should add Brad Knott to that list of no-gos. I’ll take a warrior like Harrigan over yet another lawyer like Knott. He deceived NC-13 voters into thinking he actually resides in the district he represents and his “I’m not a politician” ad neglected to mention that his family is neck-deep in DC politics. I was told that he openly asked Granville County GOP delegates at their county convention to table a motion censuring Tillis, which is suspicious as hell. Most people don’t know he’s in George Holding’s circle or that his brother is chief of staff to increasingly RINO Ted Budd after a stint as George Holding’s CoS.
This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^IS NC gop in a nutshell. Ere’body connect to the gope, establishment, RINO, good ole boy network/club in some way. About same as dc. Doesn’t matter who gets sent, they soon join the dc country club and wine, dine, cocktails by night and ‘debate, spin, theatrics, for the folks back home in the day. ONE BIG CLUB everywhere.
Heard Lara interviewed yesterday evening. Her response to the question of running, “I’m considering and will make a decision soon.”. So, there’s thought going on in that court.
Harris had a hand in electing Tillis to the Senate in 2014. He ran in the GOP primary as a conservative alternative to Dr. Greg Brannon. Harris & Brannon split the conservative vote and Tillis got all the moderate GOP vote which gave him the nomination.. Whether it was done unwittingly or not Harris was used as a stalking horse.in that race. Robin Hayes is Harris political guru & no doubt was part of Harris decision to run for the Senate in 2014.
No one is mentioning Don Brown, who had the guts to get in the race months ago, long before Tillis quit and the “johnny-come-lately” crowd surfaced. In my humble opinion, Don is a rock-solid conservative and worthy of serious consideration!
Don Brown is lightyears ahead of Whatley or most of the congresscritters that are being mentioned as far as being a solid voice for NC conservatives in the Senate. We should not write him off. In Kentucky many are now looking at MAGA-oriented businessman Nate Morris, who has never held public office, as the frontrunner for Mitch McConnell’s seat, even with two McConnell-flunky career politicians, Congressman Andy Barr and former Attorney General Daniel Cameron in the race.
https://senateconservatives.substack.com/p/nate-morris-for-us-senate
Lara is currently a Florida resident, but she could be a NC resident in 30-45 days
way before filing
That said her children are pretty young and being a US Senator would change her current lifestyle greatly.
I suspect Trump will want M. Whatley to stay through the mid-terms.
I think Trump and the GOP at large will look strongly at Rep. Pat Harrigan.
He would be a strong highly telegenic, conservative candidate with a very attractive family.
I am the odd ball on this next part but I do not believe Former Governor Cooper will run. He would be 69 years of age taking office.
If Lara Trump wants it she will clear the field and will easily win the primary.. She should make up her mind soon.