Nov. 5 Sen.-elect Thom Tillis this morning returned to the chamber where he first served as an elected official a dozen years ago and told reporters from major news outlets that he might have been elected by “49 percent of the population but I represent 100 percent of the people.”

A triumphant—and sleep-deprived—Tillis said he has a track record of reaching across the aisle as Speaker of the House.

He said he will work to overturn parts of the national health care law that are harmful to business and individuals. He hopes to serve on the Senate Armed Forces and Agriculture committees.

“We’ve been given an opportunity to lead and now we have to lead,” he said.

Tillis, who has lived with his family in Lake Norman since 1998, will go to Washington, D.C. next week to lay the groundwork for a six-year term.

Tillis said joining the N.C. House in 2006 as a member of the minority in Raleigh will help him work with Democrats in Washington.