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\u00a0Republican Sen. Thom Tillis<\/a>\u00a0of North Carolina said Sunday he will not seek reelection next year, an abrupt announcement that came one day after he staked out his opposition to President Donald Trump\u2019s\u00a0tax breaks and spending cuts package<\/a>\u00a0because of its reductions to health care programs.<\/p>\n His decision creates a political opportunity for Democrats seeking to bolster their numbers in the 2026 midterm elections, creating a wide-open Senate race in a state that has long been a\u00a0contested battleground<\/a>. It could also make Tillis a wild card in a party where few lawmakers are willing to risk Trump\u2019s wrath by opposing his agenda or actions. Trump had already been threatening him with a primary challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Washington over the last few years, it\u2019s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species,\u201d Tillis said in a lengthy statement.<\/p>\n Tillis, who would have been up for a third term, said he was proud of his career in public service but acknowledged the difficult political environment for those who buck their party and go it alone.<\/p>\n \u201cI look forward to having the pure freedom to call the balls and strikes as I see fit and representing the great people of North Carolina to the best of my ability,\u201d Tillis said in a statement.<\/p>\n Republicans hold a 53-47 edge in the Senate.<\/p>\n Trump, in social posts, had berated Tillis for being one of two Republican senators who voted on Saturday night against advancing the massive tax bill.<\/p>\n The Republican president accused Tillis of seeking publicity with his \u201cno\u201d vote and threatened to campaign against him, accusing the senator of doing nothing to help his constituents after last year\u2019s\u00a0devastating floods<\/a>\u00a0in western North Carolina from Hurricane Helene.<\/p>\n \u201cTillis is a talker and complainer, NOT A DOER,\u201d Trump wrote.<\/p>\n The North Carolina Republican Party chairman, Jason Simmons, said the party wishes Tillis well and \u201cwill hold this seat for Republicans in 2026.\u201d Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the chairman of the campaign arm for Senate Republicans, did not mention Tillis in a statement but said the party\u2019s winning streak in North Carolina will continue. Scott noted that Trump won the state three times.<\/p>\n Democrats expressed confidence about their prospects.<\/p>\n Former Rep. Wiley Nickel, who\u00a0announced his candidacy in April<\/a>, said he was ready for any Republican challenger.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve flipped a tough seat before and we\u2019re going to do it again,\u201d Nickel said in a statement.<\/p>\n Some said Tillis\u2019 decision is another sign of the dramatic transformation of the Republican Party under Trump, with few lawmakers critical of the president or his agenda remaining in office.<\/p>\n It \u201cproves there is no space within the Republican Party to dissent over taking health care away from 11.8 million people,\u201d said Lauren French, spokesperson for the Senate Majority PAC, a political committee aligned with the chamber\u2019s Democratic members.<\/p>\n\n