Senator Tom Tillis won’t seek re-election after opposing Trump’s bill
North Carolina Republican Sen. Tom Tillis announced that he would not run for reelection in 2026 the day after he voted for Trump’s budget bill.
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President Donald Trump said his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, was his “first choice” to be a North Carolina Senate GOP candidate, vacant by Senator Tom Tillis, but he said she does not live in the state.
“She’s a great person, Lara Trump,” Trump told reporters on July 1.
Over the weekend, Tillis announced that he was not seeking re-election in 2026, creating a seat open to a key swing state. Tillis opposed Trump’s signature law, criticised the bill’s Medicaid cuts, and threatened to find a major challenger before the senator announced he wasn’t running again.
Lara Trump, the wife of Trump’s son Eric, was previously debated as a potential alternative to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio when the president chose him as secretary of state. “We’ll be seriously considering it,” Lara Trump said.
Lara Trump was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, raised in Wrightville Beach and attended state colleges. She currently lives in Florida. She co-chaired the Republican National Committee during the 2024 election and held the Fox News Show.
“The real amazing person is Lara, she grew up there,” Trump said of the race.
Trump said he didn’t know who would run to his seat. He hopes one of the state lawmakers will “step up.”
Contribution: Iris Seton
