Western Republicans continue censure of Tillis
Sen. Thom Tillis (left) visits the recovery hub at the International Paper Sports Complex in Canton, shortly after Hurricane Helene. Cory Vaillancourt photo
Claiming that Republican Sen. Thom Tillis’ “stances on certain issues are against the party platform and Republican ideals,” Republicans in the 11th Congressional District voted April 26 to continue a censure issued by the state party in 2023.
Tillis, who announced his reelection bid late last year, already has at least two opponents for the November 2026 General Election — one Democrat, and one Republican.
Former two-term Congressman Wiley Nickel, the Democrat, officially announced his entry into the race on April 10, but party insiders are eagerly awaiting a decision from former two-term Gov. Roy Cooper, who’s been quiet since leaving office last December.
Andy Nilsson, a retired furniture company executive and high school football coach from Winston-Salem, filed his statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission on Jan. 14 and supports the resolutions against Tillis.
“That tells us that back in 2022 and 2023 the GOP base was turning off Sen. Tillis. It’s the first time in North Carolina history when a federal politician has been censured at a Republican state convention. It was breathtaking,” Nilsson told The Smoky Mountain News. “The fact that it has happened again at the district level — and sources tell me a similar resolution will again be introduced at the state convention in June — what it does is it confirms Thom Tillis’ eroding support among the GOP base. It was already bad. Recent polling shows Tillis polling less than 40% among active Republicans.”
The censure resolution passed by the NC-11 GOP states that the party is “not obligated to recognize him, house his campaign materials nor endorse his campaign” and encourages “members, volunteers and citizens to support a primary candidate of their choosing during that election cycle.”
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Although the resolution doesn’t list the specific reasons for Tillis’ censure, Republicans on the right have long been unhappy with Tillis’ support of LGBTQ+ rights, among other issues.
According to the Cook Political Report, Tillis and Maine Sen. Susan Collins are the only incumbents whose 2026 races are rated “lean R,” as opposed to the more secure “likely R” and “solid R.”
— Cory Vaillancourt, Politics Editor
