On the last Sunday in June, Tom Tillis, North Carolina’s senior Republican Senator, announced his resignation after voting against Donald Trump’s reconciliation bill.
Citing the impact that the piece of legislation would have on his state constituents as a result of the Medicaid cuts and after voicing his decision, Tillis added that it was “not a hard choice.” He also indicated a desire to spend more time with his family.
Tillis criticized the lack of bipartisan cooperation currently found in American politics, saying, “In Washington over the last few years, it’s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species.”
The senator added: “Too many elected officials are motivated by pure raw politics who really don’t give a damn about the people they promised to represent on the campaign trail.”
When it comes to the LGBTQ+ community, Tillis’s record is mixed. As speaker of the N.C. House in 2012, Tillis pushed North Carolina Amendment 1, a state constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriage and civil unions.
However, just a year later, the newly-elected Senator voted in favor of marriage equality so that same-sex couples could have access to government resources, no matter if a state recognized their union. Tillis also voted to codify same-sex marriage when the Respect For Marriage Act came through Congress, which was passed and enacted, completing the reversal on his position from where he began.
The N.C. Democratic Party met the news of Tillis’s announcement with enthusiasm, with the state party chair saying, “Thom Tillis spent years putting DC Republicans and corporate donors ahead of the people of North Carolina, and voters noticed.”
“We look forward to next November when North Carolinians will finally elect a senator that will actually fight for North Carolina,” Chair Anderson Clayton added.
As of July 1, Donald Trump announced his desire for daughter-in-law Lara Trump to run for the seat. Although not currently a resident of the state, she was born in Wilmington and raised in Wrightsville Beach. Since voter registration requires state residency, and filing for candidacy is in December, Lara Trump would be required to reestablish residency in North Carolina by September to meet the 90-day party affiliation requirement.
A popular Democratic contender also has apparently thought of throwing his hat in the ring. Former two-term Gov. Roy Cooper is reportedly considering a bid, but the Raleigh-based NBC affiliate WRAL reported that he won’t decide for at least a few more weeks. Cooper is recognized as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, and was the first North Carolina Governor to declare statewide recognition of Pride month. He spoke at length with Qnotes in an interview shortly after winning reelection to the governorship in 2021, and is currently the most likely candidate to fill Tillis’s seat.
