Former Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel is kicking off a bid to challenge North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.
The attorney and former Obama administration staffer, who served one term in the House before redistricting made his seat much redder, is getting ready to nationalize the race by hitching Tillis to President Donald Trump.
“We got to stand up to Donald Trump and Thom Tillis, over and over, has been the one that has voted for the Trump agenda. He's been the deciding vote on important confirmation after confirmation,” Nickel said in an interview.
He’s the first major Democratic candidate to kick off a bid for what is likely to be one of the few competitive Senate seats this cycle. Nickel has floated a Senate campaign since announcing he wouldn’t run for the House again. He was a member of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition during his House tenure, though he said he eschewed labels as he launched his bid for the Senate.
Democrats haven't held a Senate seat in North Carolina since Kay Hagan lost in 2014, but they are optimistic about their chances this time. Vice President Kamala Harris lost the state in 2024 even as Democrats won the races for governor, attorney general and secretary of state.
“North Carolina is trending the right way,” Nickel said.
One wrinkle for Nickel is the potential entry of former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper into the race. Democrats have hoped Cooper, who’s been noncommittal on his future plans, would run for Senate. But Nickel sidestepped a question on whether he’d stay in the race if Cooper launched a bid.
“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.”
A person directly familiar with Cooper’s thinking granted anonymity to speak about private conversations said the governor is still “actively considering the decision to run” and he’ll decide after he completes his Harvard University fellowship later this spring. "Announcements by other potential candidates will not have an impact on his decision," the person added.
Nickel also dodged a question on whether he would support Sen. Chuck Schumer for leader again after intraparty furor for the New York Democrat's vote to advance a Trump-backed government funding bill last month.
“My focus is just winning the Senate race and making sure that we flip this seat from red to blue,” Nickel said.
Elena Schneider contributed reporting.
