Tillis spoke at a Newsmakers Breakfast in 2023

Dec.  12. Calling it one of the “worst-kept secrets,” the McClatchy Washington Bureau is reporting that US Sen. Thom Tillis will seek re-election in 2026. Fellow senators hosted a kick-off campaign event for him Wednesday, marking the official start to his 2026 Senate campaign.

Tillis, 64, began his political career on the Cornelius Town Board before moving on to the NC House of Representatives where he ultimately became Speaker of the House. Tillis, who spoke at a Newsmakers Breakfast in 2023, is now a Huntersville resident.

He was first elected to the US Senate in 2014 when he ran against the late Sen. Kay Hagan, the Democratic incumbent.

He went on to win reelection in 2020 against Cal Cunningham, a Democratic lawyer from Winston-Salem.

Quotable

“At first Tillis, who didn’t have the favor of Trump’s most extreme supporters, seemed vulnerable in the toss-up race against Cunningham. But a scandal rocked the end of Cunningham’s campaign, and Tillis ultimately won. Both races became the most expensive Senate races at the time, in U.S. history. The Tillis and Cunningham race cost close to $300 million. And Tillis believes the 2026 campaign will far exceed that number,” the McClatchy report said.