The North Carolina State Republican Party censured Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) for unspecified reasons that could stem from various positions that strayed from the party’s current orthodoxy.
The official censure simply read that he committed “blatant violations of our party platform.”
Tillis has received significant criticism from other Republicans due to actions he took that separated him from the mainstream of the party.
When former President Donald Trump requested funds to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, Tillis originally opposed it.
Tillis later advocated for funding for the border wall.
The senator also voted against Trump’s efforts to reduce American foreign aid, which was later dropped by the president.
Tillis also announced support for a potential deal to allow illegal immigrants brought to the country as children, often called ‘Dreamers.’
Tillis’ office cited a Politico article that described Tillis as having “methodically carved out a profile as a pro-immigration Republican at a time when the GOP has swerved sharply to the right.”
Republican delegates in North Carolina voted Saturday at their annual convention to censure Thom Tillis, the state's senior U.S. senator, for backing LGBTQ+ rights, immigration and gun safety policies. https://t.co/9qs3aafwoI
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 10, 2023
The direct cause of the censure may be his support of the Respect for Marriage Act, which supported the federal codification of gay marriage. State Rep. Mark Brody (R-NC) cited the support as an incident in which Tillis “finally stepped over” the “edge of angering Republicans.”
In 2019 the former president endorsed Tillis’ reelection bid. Tillis had been facing a significant primary challenge and faced the approval of just 53% of the members of the party.
This was the second-lowest such approval among incumbent senators, ahead of only former Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), who subsequently lost his reelection bid.
Despite distrust by some Republicans, Trump wrote that Tillis had “really stepped up to the plate,” calling him “tough on Crime, Strong on the Border and fights hard against Illegal Immigration.”
He wrote that he gave Tillis “my Full and Total Endorsement!”
Tillis reciprocated, pledging his own support for the president’s 2020 campaign, writing that he was “proud of the results we’ve delivered to reignite our economy, rebuild our military and make Ameria great again.”
He added that he looked forward “to campaigning across the state” in support of Trump.
