The MAGA movement continues to force out Republican senators deemed too moderate.
Following Mitt Romney, who announced his retirement in 2023 while denouncing the radicalization of the GOP, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis is now stepping aside.
The 64-year-old Republican announced Sunday that he would not seek a third term in the 2026 Senate race, just one day after publicly opposing former President Donald Trump’s latest economic package.
The proposed legislation includes sweeping tax cuts, along with significant reductions in federal spending, particularly targeting social safety net programs such as Medicaid and Medicare.
“In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that leaders who strive for compromise, demonstrate openness, and act independently are becoming a vanishing breed,” Tillis said in a statement quoted by The Associated Press.
Tillis said he was “proud” of his years in public service, while lamenting what he described as a toxic political climate for lawmakers who refuse to fall in line with party orthodoxy.
Known for his centrist stance, Tillis has frequently broken ranks with fellow Republicans on key issues, including immigration reform, policing, and support for same-sex marriage.
“Some of my bipartisan initiatives have drawn criticism from within my own party, but I have no regrets about any of them,” he added, according to AP.
His decision to retire comes at a time when the Trump-aligned wing of the Republican Party is mounting increasing pressure on GOP moderates.
By rejecting Trump’s latest economic proposal—seen as a cornerstone of the former president’s 2025 platform—Tillis risked a definitive rupture with the MAGA base, which remains particularly influential in North Carolina.
First elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014 after serving as Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, Tillis’s departure now paves the way for what is likely to be a fiercely contested Republican primary dominated by Trump-aligned candidates. It also presents Democrats with a potential opening to reclaim a seat they lost in 2014, when then-incumbent Senator Kay Hagan was defeated by Tillis.
