Any doubt that Sen. Thom Tillis is thinking about leaving the U.S. Senate when his term expires in January 2027 seems to be dissipating after he hired three political operatives close to President Donald Trump.
The Punchbowl News website scooped today that Tillis hired Trump’s pollster Tony Fabrizio for his reelection campaign, along with Tim Saler, who was Trump’s chief data consultant, and Jim McCray, who helped lead the Trump campaign’s fundraising.
Also, Tillis said he hired veteran Raleigh campaign adviser Paul Shumaker, who has been a strategist for five N.C. victorious Senate elections, more than any other consultant in the state in the past 25 years.
“We are building a team of rock stars to lead us to victory in what promises to be yet another highly competitive US Senate race in North Carolina,” Tillis said in a note. “I am confident in our ability to get it done for the people of this great state, and I know we will all do the hard work of freedom to ensure we come out on top next November.”
Tillis is expected to face a tough primary race in 2026 because he has shown more willingness to collaborate with Democrats on some hot-button issues than most D.C. Republicans. For example, he has taken more nuanced stands on immigration, the Ukraine-Russia war, trade policy and LGBTQ rights than expressed by the conservative wing of the N.C. Republican Party. That has led to the state party and various regional groups issuing declarations denouncing his stances.
Tillis has been a key force in N.C. Republican politics since he was elected to the General Assembly in 2007. He later became House Speaker as the GOP took control of the state legislature for the first time in generations. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014, defeating incumbent Kay Hagan. In 2020, he defeated Cal Cunningham after trailing in the polls for much of the campaign.
Former U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel has announced his plan to seek the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Many observers expect former Gov. Roy Cooper to enter the contest, which is expected to be among the most expensive political races in the 2026 cycle because of North Carolina’s typical close margin.
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