North Carolina’s 2026 Senate race wide open after Tillis bows out

CHARLOTTE — Sen. Thom Tillis says he’s not running again, a day after he railed against President Donald Trump’s spending bill.

The most interesting 2026 race in the country just got more interesting.

Tillis is not running. There are three Republicans whom Channel 9 government reporter Joe Bruno is keeping an eye on in the race to replace him as the GOP nominee.

Sen. Thom Tillis announces he is not running for reelection

First is Lara Trump. The president’s daughter-in-law is a North Carolina native. Bruno talked to her about this exact scenario last year. When it comes to running for Senate in 2026 or even governor in 2028, she said she would never say never.

One thing to keep in mind now is that she lives in Florida. However, she would only have to be a resident of North Carolina by the General Election Day in 2026. There is also some precedent. Hillary Clinton moved to New York just before she ran and won the Senate seat there.

The next person to watch is Michael Whatley. He is the RNC chairman and former NCGOP chairman. He is from Gaston County and has deep ties and a strong rolodex thanks to his long tenure in the Republican Party.

Finally, don’t rule out 10th Congressional District Rep. Pat Harrigan. His district includes Lincoln, Catawba and Iredell counties. He is seen as a rising star in the Republican Party. He’s young, has a military background and won a very tough primary last year. A person close to Harrigan confirmed to Bruno the congressman is looking at entering the race.

On the Democrat side, all eyes are on Roy Cooper. The former governor will reportedly decide this summer on whether he will run. Former Democrat Congressman Wiley Nickel, of Cary, has already declared for the seat.

Channel 9’s Jonathan Lowe spoke with Dr. Susan Roberts, a professor at Davidson College, about the upcoming race.

Roberts stated, “You can guarantee it will be the most expensive senate race in the country, I have no doubt about that.”

Former State Senator Jeff Tarte noted the historical trend of costly and closely contested Senate races in North Carolina, emphasizing the significant financial investments due to narrow win margins.

The high stakes of the upcoming election are underscored by the potential shift in Senate control. As Jeff Tarte remarked, “Now we’ve put into play and at risk the senate, and control of the Senate because now you have allowed the democrats to come in and be a viable option.”

Democrats haven’t won a Senate seat in almost 20 years. The last democratic senator was Kay Hagan, whom Tillis defeated in 2014.

VIDEO: Sen. Thom Tillis announces he is not running for reelection