Thom Tillis
Thom Tillis | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 30, 1960 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, politician |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Known for | U.S. Senator from North Carolina since 2015; former Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives (2011–2015) |
Thomas Roland Tillis (born August 30, 1960) is an American entrepreneur and political figure affiliated with the Republican Party. Since 2015, he has represented North Carolina as a U.S. senator. Prior to his Senate tenure, he was a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from 2007 until 2015 and held the position of State House speaker from 2011 through 2015. Tillis secured his Senate seat in the 2014 election by defeating the incumbent Democrat Kay Hagan and won reelection in 2020. Following Richard Burr’s retirement in 2023, he became North Carolina’s senior senator.
Identified as a moderate Republican, Tillis has endorsed legislation such as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, supported funding for red flag laws, and backed the Respect for Marriage Act, which overturned the Defense of Marriage Act. He promotes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and initially opposed President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency aimed at reallocating funds for a border wall.
In the Senate, Tillis holds memberships on several influential committees, including those on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Finance, Judiciary, and Veterans' Affairs.
On June 29, 2025, Tillis declared that he will not pursue reelection in the upcoming 2026 contest.
Early life and education
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Tillis is the son of Margie and Thomas Raymond Tillis, who worked as a boat draftsman. He is the eldest son among six siblings, with three older sisters. By age 17, his family had relocated approximately twenty times, residing in cities such as New Orleans and Nashville, resulting in him never attending the same school twice consecutively. The name Thomas Tillis is shared by him, his father, and two brothers; one brother, Thomas "Rick" Tillis, served in the Tennessee House of Representatives.
After completing high school in 1978, Tillis entered the workforce before enrolling at Chattanooga State Community College. He later obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in technology management from the University of Maryland University College in 1986.
Business career
Following his graduation from Antioch High School in 1978, Tillis began working at Provident Life and Accident Insurance Co. in Chattanooga, where he assisted with digitizing records alongside Wang Laboratories. His performance led to employment at Wang’s Boston office. After approximately two and a half years, he relocated back to Chattanooga and subsequently to Atlanta. In 1990, he joined the accounting and consulting firm Price Waterhouse, achieving partnership status by 1996. In 1998, he moved with his family to Cornelius, North Carolina.
When PricewaterhouseCoopers divested its consulting division to IBM in 2002, Tillis transitioned to IBM. That same year marked the beginning of his political involvement in Cornelius through efforts supporting a local bike trail and participation on the town’s park board. In 2003, he campaigned for town commissioner and finished tied for second place.
North Carolina House of Representatives
Following a two-year tenure as a town commissioner, Tillis pursued a seat in the General Assembly in 2006. He defeated the incumbent John W. Rhodes in the Republican primary and faced no opposition in the general election. He subsequently secured reelection without contest in 2008, 2010, and 2012, officially departing from IBM in 2009. In 2010, Tillis took on the role of campaign chairman for the House Republican Caucus. With Republicans gaining control of the North Carolina House for the first time since 1998, he was elected Speaker—the fifth Republican to serve in this capacity—and was unanimously reelected in 2013. Governing recognized Tillis alongside North Carolina Senate President pro tempore Phil Berger as "GOP Legislators to Watch" in 2011.
During his speakership, the state legislature overhauled North Carolina’s tax system, redrew congressional boundaries, and enacted laws that sunset existing regulations while capping new ones at a ten-year limit.
After Republican Pat McCrory assumed the governor’s office in 2012, Tillis played a key role in passing legislation that curtailed early voting periods, invalidated ballots cast outside designated precincts, and mandated specific photo identification for voting. When a senior aide requested data on photo ID possession by race—highlighting potential disproportionate effects on black voters—Tillis explained that this information was gathered to ensure adherence to federal anti-discrimination statutes. However, these voting restrictions were later invalidated by the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled they were designed to "target African Americans with almost surgical precision."
In 2014, fourteen demonstrators protesting reductions to the earned income tax credit and Tillis’s refusal to expand Medicaid were arrested after conducting a sit-in at his office.
2014
Tillis opted not to seek another term in the state House in 2014 and instead launched a campaign for the U.S. Senate against Democratic incumbent Kay Hagan. During the Republican primary, he garnered endorsements from notable figures such as former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, then-North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, former presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The New York Times characterized him as a "favorite of the party establishment."
To strengthen his image as the presumptive nominee during the primary race, Tillis strategically avoided several candidate forums and debates. His fundraising efforts drew criticism due to contributions from groups lobbying the state House. On May 6, he secured the Republican nomination with 45.68% of the vote, defeating challengers Greg Brannon and Mark Harris. This outcome represented a win for establishment Republicans over insurgent Tea Party movement candidates.
On November 4, Tillis was declared victorious in the Senate election with 48.8% of the vote—the lowest percentage ever recorded for a winning U.S. Senate candidate in North Carolina; Hagan received 47.3%.
Throughout the campaign, Tillis and the North Carolina Republican Party paid $345,000 to data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica for voter microtargeting services. The company later emphasized their role in developing "psychographic profiles for all voters in North Carolina," facilitating customized campaign communications. This connection attracted attention following disclosures that Cambridge Analytica had improperly harvested Facebook user data.
Overall, Tillis benefited from $22,888,975 in "dark money", making up 81% of external non-party expenditures supporting him. According to OpenSecrets, outside spending amounted to $44 million backing Hagan (including expenditures attacking Tillis) and $34.6 million supporting Tillis (including expenditures attacking Hagan).
2020
In the 2020 election cycle, Tillis successfully won reelection despite a primary challenge from conservative entrepreneur Garland Tucker, who had contributed $1.3 million before withdrawing in December 2019 after former President Trump endorsed incumbent Republican senators, including Tillis. On March 3, Tillis secured the Republican nomination and faced Democrat Cal Cunningham in the November general election. Cunningham maintained a lead in most polls until October, when revelations of an extramarital affair diminished his advantage to less than two percentage points. Ultimately, Tillis prevailed with 48.7% of the vote compared to Cunningham's 46.9%.
Tenure
Following the emergence of the Access Hollywood tape during the 2016 presidential race, Tillis condemned Trump's remarks as "indefensible." Initially, he engaged with Democrats on immigration reform and co-sponsored legislation aimed at safeguarding special counsel Robert Mueller but gradually aligned more closely with Trump under party pressure. Although he occasionally criticized Trump's rhetoric, Tillis affirmed in 2017 that he had "not deviated once from any nomination or any vote that the president supports," having voted in line with Trump’s positions approximately 90% of the time by January 2021.
In 2016, Tillis opposed filling the Supreme Court vacancy prior to the presidential election, believing it should be decided by the next president. However, by September 2020, he supported an immediate confirmation vote for Trump's nominee. After Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away, Tillis endorsed Trump's selection of a "well-qualified and conservative jurist" over what he described as a "liberal activist" from Joe Biden.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tillis apologized for not wearing a mask while attending Trump’s speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention, admitting he "fell short of my own standard." He faced backlash for remarks suggesting Hispanic individuals were less likely to adhere to mask-wearing and social distancing guidelines. In October 2020, Tillis tested positive for COVID-19 following a White House event. Uncommonly for a leading state Republican, he broadly supported North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s pandemic management and dismissed claims that migrants were responsible for surges in COVID-19 cases, attributing increases instead to vaccine hesitancy.
Political analysts typically classify Tillis as a moderate within the Republican Party. In 2023, the North Carolina GOP formally censured him due to his positions on immigration and same-sex marriage.
In June 2025, Tillis was among three Republican senators opposing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. After receiving criticism from Trump, Tillis announced he would not pursue another term, noting that bipartisan leaders willing to compromise and exhibit independent judgment are "becoming an endangered species."
Caucus memberships
- Senate Taiwan Caucus
- Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus
Abortion
Tillis holds an anti-abortion stance. While serving as North Carolina House speaker in 2011, he played a key role in passing legislation mandating abortion providers to conduct ultrasounds at least four hours before performing the procedure; this provision was later invalidated by courts. He described the ultrasound requirement as "the most critical part" of the law and advocated appealing the ruling. In 2012, he voted in favor of defunding Planned Parenthood within North Carolina.
In 2013, Tillis supported a motorcycle safety bill that was subsequently amended to incorporate abortion restrictions. By 2014, his spokesperson indicated that Tillis would back a personhood bill provided abortion remained permissible in cases involving rape, incest, or threats to the mother's life and that women retained access to contraceptives.
Economic policy
During a 2011 address, Tillis stated his objective was to "divide and conquer" individuals receiving assistance by encouraging those who "had no choice" but to accept aid to view with disdain those who "choose to get into a condition that makes them dependent on the government." When this statement resurfaced amid his Senate campaign, he expressed remorse for the wording yet maintained the core message.
In 2014, Tillis opposed any increase to the federal minimum wage and declined to endorse raising North Carolina’s $7.25 hourly rate. He described government-mandated minimum wages as an "artificial threshold" that "drives up costs" and potentially leads to job losses.
The following year, he proposed that coffee shops be permitted to "opt out" of hand-washing regulations provided they display a sign disclaiming the requirement, contending that market forces would naturally regulate such behavior.
In January 2018, Tillis was among 36 Republican senators urging President Trump to maintain the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
By June 2025, Tillis opposed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act due to concerns over Medicaid funding reductions; in response, Trump threatened to support primary challengers against him.
Environment
Back in 2007, Tillis endorsed legislation creating North Carolina’s renewable portfolio standard; by 2020, the state had become second nationally in solar energy output. On the Senate floor in 2015, he promoted opening U.S. Atlantic coastal waters for offshore drilling. He opposed the Clean Power Plan and supported President Trump’s efforts to rescind it. In 2017, Tillis called on Trump to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement, aligning himself with oil and gas sector interests.
In 2014, Tillis denied climate change and voted against recognizing human influence on climate in 2015. However, by 2018 he acknowledged both climate change and potential human contributions while remaining noncommittal about scientific consensus. During his 2020 Senate campaign, InsideClimate News observed his attempt to reposition as a moderate advocate for market-driven climate policies despite a record closely linked with fossil fuel interests and Trump.
In November 2017, Tillis opposed President Trump’s EPA nominee Michael Dourson. Two years later, in 2019, he joined a group of 20 senators urging the EPA to regulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water amid concerns over insufficient oversight.
Tillis has received a lifetime score of 9% from the League of Conservation Voters.
Foreign policy
In 2017, Tillis was one of 21 senators denouncing the genocide against Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority. In 2020, he backed the U.S. military drone strike that killed Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani at Baghdad International Airport.
Following President Donald Trump’s criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2025, Tillis condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin as a war criminal and "the greatest threat to democracy in my lifetime." He accused Putin of being "a liar, murderer, responsible for systematic torture, kidnapping, and rape of civilians," although he refrained from directly criticizing Trump’s position on the conflict.
Gun policy
During his tenure in the state House, Tillis advocated for reforming firearm regulations to permit concealed carry in venues such as restaurants and parks. He has earned an "A+" grade from the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF), which allocated $4.4 million in his 2014 Senate race, splitting the amount evenly between backing Tillis and opposing Hagan. By 2018, Tillis ranked as the third-largest recipient of NRA contributions within Congress.
In the aftermath of the 2016 Orlando nightclub massacre, Tillis supported Republican initiatives aimed at enhancing federal background check funding and instituting a 72-hour waiting period on gun sales to individuals listed on terrorist watchlists. However, he opposed Democratic proposals that sought to prohibit these individuals from purchasing firearms outright and to mandate universal background checks for gun shows and online transactions.
In 2022, Tillis was one of 15 Republican senators who endorsed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This legislation allocated resources for state-level red flag laws, crisis intervention measures, improvements in school safety, reinforced background checks for buyers under the age of 21, and increased penalties targeting straw purchases.
Health care
Tillis is firmly against the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and has persistently voted in favor of its repeal. While serving in the North Carolina House, he spearheaded efforts to block Medicaid expansion, supporting laws that restrict the governor’s authority to broaden the program. As a result, North Carolina remained among the 12 states without Medicaid expansion as of 2020. Tillis has expressed the view that health care should not be a governmental obligation and committed to exerting all efforts to dismantle Obamacare.
In 2018, amid attempts to repeal the ACA, Tillis introduced legislation intended to address coverage for individuals with preexisting conditions. The proposed bill was criticized for containing loopholes that could allow insurers to exclude certain preexisting conditions and for offering weaker anti-discrimination protections compared to those under the ACA. Tillis later described this legislation as an initial framework subject to refinement through further discussion.
Immigration
In 2017, during President Trump’s push to terminate DACA, Tillis put forward a legislative proposal granting some undocumented youth brought into the U.S. as children the opportunity to apply for renewable five-year residency permits with a pathway toward eventual citizenship. This conservative alternative to the bipartisan DREAM Act targeted high school graduates under age 31 who met criteria such as consistent employment, military service, or enrollment in higher education. Unlike the DREAM Act, citizenship eligibility required a 15-year residency period, prohibited new citizens from petitioning immediately for family members’ residency, and mandated that temporary visa holders waive hearing rights if they violated visa conditions.
In February 2019, Tillis publicly opposed President Trump’s national emergency declaration that redirected Department of Defense funds toward constructing a border wall. Writing for the Washington Post, he argued, "I cannot justify providing the executive with more ways to bypass Congress." Despite facing pressure from Trump supporters and conservative factions—including threats of a primary challenge—Tillis initially resisted but reversed his position within a week by voting in favor of supporting the emergency declaration.
Internet, technology and copyright
Tillis stands against net neutrality and was a co-sponsor of the 2017 Restoring Internet Freedom Act, which aimed to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s Open Internet Order. He supported repealing the FCC's internet privacy regulations, enabling internet service providers to sell users' browsing information without their permission. In May 2020, he opposed measures that would prohibit warrantless surveillance of web browser histories under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
While serving as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee's intellectual property subcommittee, Tillis criticized the Internet Archive for its "National Emergency Library" project during the COVID-19 pandemic, asserting that it infringed on copyright law by providing expanded access without proper authorization. The Internet Archive defended its initiative by referencing library licensing provisions and exceptions under the Copyright Act of 1976.
Tillis introduced an amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 that criminalizes unauthorized commercial streaming of copyrighted content, making it a felony subject to up to three years in prison. This provision is designed to target piracy platforms rather than individual creators.
He was the only Senator opposing the removal of a decade-long moratorium on state-level artificial intelligence regulations from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
LGBT rights
In 2012, when serving as speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, Tillis spearheaded efforts to enact North Carolina Amendment 1, which prohibited same-sex marriage and civil unions. He appealed a court decision in 2014 that declared this amendment unconstitutional.
As a senator in 2015, Tillis voted in favor of an amendment to a non-binding resolution that permitted same-sex married couples from states not recognizing such unions to receive government benefits.
By July 2022, Tillis expressed that he would "probably" back bipartisan legislation aimed at codifying same-sex marriage nationwide. Subsequently, he voiced support for the bill and characterized the Senate’s same-sex marriage legislation as "'a good compromise... based on mutual respect for our fellow Americans'". On November 29, 2022, he voted in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which repealed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and federally established protections for same-sex and interracial marriages.
Presidential appointments
In 2025, Tillis reportedly informed Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth's former sister-in-law that submitting a sworn affidavit alleging Hegseth's alcohol misuse and spousal abuse might influence him and two other senators to oppose Hegseth’s confirmation. Although she submitted the statement, Tillis proceeded to vote for Hegseth’s confirmation. He stated that the affidavit "carried weight," prompting him to raise concerns with the White House and conduct thorough investigations; however, due to lack of direct corroboration, he ultimately followed "where the facts ultimately led". According to anonymous sources cited by the New York Times, Tillis reversed his stance after President Trump threatened a primary challenge, though a spokesperson denied this claim.
Tillis subsequently supported the confirmations of Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of health and human services.
In May 2025, Tillis announced his opposition to President Trump's nominee for United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, Ed Martin, citing Martin’s defense of individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riot. Emphasizing the necessity of condemning those events, Tillis’s opposition effectively prevented Martin’s confirmation and led to Trump withdrawing the nomination.
2021 United States Capitol attack
On May 28, 2021, Tillis opposed the creation of an independent panel to examine the 2021 United States Capitol attack. However, by August 2021, he emphasized that numerous participants should be held responsible and face incarceration.
Veterans
In 2022, Tillis was one of eleven senators who voted against the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022, legislation aimed at providing funding for research and benefits to as many as 3.5 million veterans exposed to hazardous substances. He voiced skepticism regarding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' capacity to effectively administer the provisions of the bill.
Whistleblowing
Since 2015, Tillis has belonged to the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, a bipartisan alliance dedicated to advancing safeguards for employees who report misconduct within both private enterprises and government agencies.
Personal life
Tillis resides in Huntersville, North Carolina with his wife, Susan, and together they have two children. Previously, he was married twice and divorced his high school partner. He formerly lived in Cornelius, North Carolina, where he served as a member of the town council. His brother, Rick, held a position as a state representative in Tennessee.
He practices the Catholic faith.
On March 29, 2021, Tillis revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and planned to undergo surgery followed by treatment. The diagnosis occurred during a routine medical exam despite the absence of symptoms. He encouraged men to participate in regular prostate health screenings.
External links
- Senator Thom Tillis official U.S. Senate website
- Campaign website