Former North Carolina Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel is hopping back into national politics and seeking to oust Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) in what is expected to be one of the most competitive Senate races in the 2026 midterm elections.
Nickel, who opted not to run for reelection in 2024 due to redistricting in North Carolina, announced his campaign for the Senate on Wednesday.
“Trump is shredding our Constitution and tanking our economy,” Nickel said in a post on X. “Thom Tillis lacks the courage to stand up to him — I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit on the sidelines. I’m running to fight for a better future for North Carolinians.”
Trump is shredding our Constitution and tanking our economy. Thom Tillis lacks the courage to stand up to him — I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit on the sidelines.
I’m running to fight for a better future for North Carolinians.
Join our campaign — let’s take back the Senate. pic.twitter.com/aHHXJFjJvF— Wiley Nickel
(@WileyNickel) April 9, 2025
Nickel’s retirement after just one term in the House due to redistricting changes paved the way for the GOP to flip the seat in 2024. The former congressman is an attorney and former Obama administration staffer.
He is the first major Democratic candidate to launch a campaign for the Senate in 2026, when there are only a handful of competitive races. Tillis’s seat is rated “lean Republican” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, but North Carolina Democrats haven’t held a Senate seat since former Sen. Kay Hagan lost in 2014.
Nickel could face a strong primary challenger in former Gov. Roy Cooper, who has been the dream candidate for Democrats. Cooper spent two terms in the Executive Mansion and won reelection despite President Donald Trump winning North Carolina in 2020. Cooper, so far, has been noncommittal on any plans.
The former congressman avoided a question on whether he would stay in the race if Cooper launched a bid in an interview with Politico.
“I have absolutely nothing but good things to say about former Governor Roy Cooper,” Nickel said. “My focus is Thom Tillis, who is voting over and over with Donald Trump on disastrous policies that are going to harm North Carolina.”
Attorney General Jeff Jackson, who also served one term in the House before seeking state office, is also rumored to be a Democratic contender.
WHERE THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL SENATE RACES OF 2026 ARE HEADED
Despite the losses Democrats took in the presidential and congressional races in 2024, North Carolina Democrats experienced several victories. Democrats won races for governor, attorney general, and secretary of state — despite Trump winning the state.
Republicans have struggled with midterm election turnout with Trump off the ticket. With the president no longer a candidate, Republicans seek to build a winning coalition that lasts beyond a single political figure.