History of Thom Tillis in Timeline

Thom Tillis is an American politician and the senior United States Senator representing North Carolina since 2015. A Republican, he previously served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 2007 to 2015, ascending to the role of Speaker from 2011 to 2015. His political career reflects a dedication to public service within North Carolina, culminating in his current position in the U.S. Senate.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Controversies & Scandals

August 30, 1960: Birth of Thom Tillis

On August 30, 1960, Thomas Roland Tillis was born. He is an American politician who has served as the senior United States senator from North Carolina since 2015.

Others born on this day/year

1976: Reference to Copyright Act

In April 2020, Thom Tillis mentioned the Copyright Act of 1976 during a discussion about the Internet Archive's "National Emergency Library" initiative. He highlighted concerns regarding potential copyright infringements, while the Internet Archive argued that the Copyright Act of 1976 provides flexibility to libraries to adjust to changing circumstances.

1978: High School Graduation

In 1978, Thom Tillis graduated from high school and subsequently sought employment.

1990: Recruitment to Price Waterhouse

In 1990, Thom Tillis was recruited to work for the accounting and consulting firm Price Waterhouse.

1996: University of Maryland University College Graduation

In 1996, Thom Tillis received a Bachelor of Science in technology management from the University of Maryland University College.

1996: Promotion to Partner at Price Waterhouse

In 1996, Thom Tillis was promoted to partner at Price Waterhouse.

1998: Move to North Carolina

In 1998, Thom Tillis and his family moved to Cornelius, North Carolina.

2002: Transition to IBM and Political Beginnings

In 2002, following PricewaterhouseCoopers' sale of its consulting arm to IBM, Thom Tillis also transitioned to IBM. In the same year, Tillis began his political career in Cornelius, advocating for a local bike trail and being elected to the town's park board.

2003: Run for Town Commissioner

In 2003, Thom Tillis ran for town commissioner in Cornelius and tied for second place.

2006: Election to the General Assembly

In 2006, Thom Tillis was elected to the General Assembly after defeating incumbent John W. Rhodes in the Republican primary.

2007: Entry into the North Carolina House of Representatives

In 2007, Thom Tillis entered the North Carolina House of Representatives, marking the start of his career in the state legislature.

2007: Vote for Renewable Portfolio Standard

In 2007, Thom Tillis voted in favor of a measure to give North Carolina a renewable portfolio standard.

2008: Re-election to General Assembly

In 2008, Thom Tillis was re-elected unopposed to the General Assembly.

2009: Departure from IBM

In 2009, Thom Tillis formally left IBM.

2010: Opposition to Minimum Wage Increase

In 2010, Thom Tillis opposed the idea of increasing North Carolina's minimum wage.

2010: Re-election to General Assembly and Campaign Chairman

In 2010, Thom Tillis was re-elected unopposed to the General Assembly. He was also the campaign chairman for the House Republican Caucus.

2011: "GOP Legislators to Watch"

In 2011, Governing magazine named Thom Tillis and North Carolina Senate President pro tempore Phil Berger "GOP Legislators to Watch".

2011: Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives

In 2011, Thom Tillis became the Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, marking a significant milestone in his legislative career.

2011: Abortion Law in North Carolina

In 2011, while speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, Thom Tillis helped the House pass a law requiring abortion providers to perform an ultrasound on women seeking abortions four hours before the procedure. The law was later struck down by the courts.

2011: Remarks on Public Assistance

In a 2011 speech, Thom Tillis made controversial remarks about "dividing and conquering" people on public assistance, leading to some criticism and comparisons to Mitt Romney's "47%" remark.

2012: Vote to Defund Planned Parenthood

In 2012, Thom Tillis voted to defund Planned Parenthood in North Carolina.

2012: Re-election to General Assembly

In 2012, Thom Tillis was re-elected unopposed to the General Assembly.

2012: Legislation on Voting Restrictions

In 2012, after Republican Pat McCrory was elected governor, Thom Tillis oversaw legislation that reduced early voting days, invalidated ballots cast outside one's precinct, and required specific kinds of photo ID in order to vote.

2012: Role in North Carolina Amendment 1

In 2012, as speaker of the North Carolina House, Thom Tillis played a key role in pushing for North Carolina Amendment 1, which banned same-sex marriage and civil unions.

2013: Support for Abortion Restrictions

In 2013, Thom Tillis supported a motorcycle safety bill that had been surreptitiously amended to include restrictions on abortion.

2013: Re-election as Speaker

In 2013, Thom Tillis was unanimously re-elected as Speaker of the North Carolina House.

2014: NRA Support in Senate Campaign

During his 2014 Senate campaign, the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) spent $4.4 million, half in support of Thom Tillis and half in opposition to Hagan.

2014: Campaign and Cambridge Analytica

During the 2014 campaign, the Tillis campaign and the North Carolina Republican Party paid $345,000 to the data analysis firm Cambridge Analytica to microtarget voters, using "psychographic profiles for all voters in North Carolina".

2014: Protest and Arrests at Tillis's Office

In 2014, 14 people protesting cuts to the earned income tax credits program and Tillis's refusal to expand Medicaid were arrested after staging a sit-in in his office.

2014: Announcement to Run for U.S. Senate

In 2014, Thom Tillis announced that he would not seek reelection to the state House, instead running for U.S. Senate against Democratic incumbent Kay Hagan.

2014: Appeal of Unconstitutionality Ruling

In 2014, Thom Tillis appealed a ruling that North Carolina Amendment 1 (banning same-sex marriage) was unconstitutional.

2014: Denial of Climate Change

In 2014, Thom Tillis denied that climate change was occurring.

2014: Opposition to Minimum Wage Increase

In 2014, Thom Tillis opposed increasing the federal minimum wage and declined to comment on increasing North Carolina's minimum wage.

2014: Election to the Senate

In 2014, Thom Tillis was elected to the Senate, defeating Democratic incumbent Kay Hagan.

2014: Support for Personhood Bill

In 2014, a Thom Tillis spokesman indicated that Tillis would support a personhood bill if abortion remained legal in cases of rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is in danger, and if women continued to have access to contraceptives.

2014: Campaign Finance in 2014 Election

In the 2014 election, Thom Tillis received $22,888,975 in "dark money". Total outside spending reached $44 million for Hagan and $34.6 million for Tillis.

2015: Call for Offshore Drilling

During his first speech on the Senate floor, in 2015, Thom Tillis called for opening up the United States' Atlantic coast for offshore drilling.

2015: Senior United States Senator from North Carolina

In 2015, Thom Tillis began his tenure as the senior United States Senator from North Carolina, a position he has held since.

2015: Remarks on Hand-Washing Regulations

In 2015, Thom Tillis suggested coffee-shop companies should be able to "opt out" of hand-washing regulations as long as they post a sign indicating they don't require employees to wash their hands.

2015: Vote Against Climate Change Amendment

In 2015, Thom Tillis voted against an amendment acknowledging the existence of climate change and the contribution of human activity.

2015: Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

In 2015, after the U.S. Supreme Court decision Obergefell v. Hodges recognized a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, Thom Tillis announced he would oppose the ruling.

2015: Vote on Same-Sex Marriage Amendment

In 2015, in the Senate, Thom Tillis voted for an amendment to a non-binding resolution that would allow same-sex married couples living in states that do not recognize same-sex marriage to have access to government resources.

2015: Supreme Court Ruling on Same-Sex Marriage

In 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that bans on same-sex marriage violated the U.S. Constitution, an event referenced by Thom Tillis when discussing his evolving stance on same-sex marriage.

2015: Membership in Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus

Since 2015, Thom Tillis has been a member of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, which aims to raise awareness of the need for adequate protections for employees who report wrongdoing.

2016: Supreme Court Vacancy Opposition

In 2016, Thom Tillis opposed filling the Supreme Court vacancy until after the election, stating the nomination "would be best left to the next president."

2016: Response to Access Hollywood Tape

In 2016, after the release of the Access Hollywood tape, Thom Tillis called Trump's comments "indefensible".

2016: Votes on Gun Control Bills

In 2016, following the Orlando nightclub shooting, Thom Tillis voted for Republican bills to increase funding for the federal background check system and delay gun sales for 72 hours for individuals on the terrorist watchlist, but against Democratic bills to ban individuals on the terrorist watchlist from purchasing a gun and require background checks at gun shows and during online sales.

March 2017: Vote on Internet Privacy Rules

In March 2017, Thom Tillis voted for the Broadband Consumer Privacy Proposal, which removed the FCC's internet privacy rules and allowed internet service providers to sell customers' browsing history without their permission.

November 2017: Opposition to Michael Dourson's Nomination

In November 2017, Thom Tillis opposed President Trump's nomination of Michael Dourson for a role in the EPA.

2017: Call to Withdraw from Paris Agreement

In 2017, Thom Tillis called on Trump to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement.

2017: Alignment with Trump

In 2017, Thom Tillis said that he had "not deviated once from any nomination or any vote that the president happens to be supportive of".

2017: Condemnation of Rohingya Genocide

In 2017, Thom Tillis was one of 21 senators to sign a letter condemning the genocide of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar.

2017: Legislation on Undocumented Youth

In 2017, amid moves by President Trump to cancel DACA, Thom Tillis proposed legislation to allow some undocumented youth brought to the U.S. as children to apply for renewable five-year residency and eventually citizenship, as a conservative alternative to the DREAM Act.

January 2018: Letter to Trump on NAFTA

In January 2018, Thom Tillis was one of 36 Republican senators to sign a letter to Trump requesting he preserve the North American Free Trade Agreement.

2018: Beneficiary of NRA Funding

As of 2018, Thom Tillis was the third-largest beneficiary of NRA funding in Congress.

2018: Belief in Climate Change with Unclear Stance on Human Cause

In 2018, Thom Tillis stated he believed climate change is happening and that humans may contribute to it, but remained unclear about whether he agrees with the scientific consensus that it is human-caused.

2018: Legislation on Preexisting Conditions

In 2018, amid attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Thom Tillis introduced legislation intended to compensate for the ACA's requirement that insurers cover people with preexisting conditions. The bill was later criticized for loopholes.

February 2019: Opposition to National Emergency Declaration

In February 2019, Thom Tillis wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post opposing Trump's national emergency declaration concerning the southern border, which diverted funding from the Department of Defense to build a border wall.

December 2019: Tucker Drops Out of Republican Primaries

In December 2019, conservative businessman Garland Tucker dropped out of the Republican primaries, after Trump endorsed all incumbent Republican senators up for election in 2020, including Thom Tillis.

2019: Letter to EPA on PFAS Regulation

In 2019, Thom Tillis was among 20 senators who signed a letter requesting the EPA to regulate the levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water, following reports that they would not.

April 2020: Concerns about Internet Archive's "National Emergency Library"

In April 2020, Thom Tillis expressed concerns that the Internet Archive's "National Emergency Library" initiative violated copyright law.

May 2020: Vote Against FISA Amendment

In May 2020, Thom Tillis voted against an amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to bar warrantless surveillance of web browser history.

September 2020: Medicaid Expansion Opposition

As of September 2020, North Carolina remains one of the few states not to have expanded Medicaid, due to legislation in the state House of Representatives, where Thom Tillis led the Republican effort to block its expansion.

September 2020: Support for Immediate Vote on Trump's Nominee

In September 2020, Thom Tillis supported an immediate vote on President Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court, less than two months before the presidential election.

October 2, 2020: Positive COVID-19 Test

On October 2, 2020, Thom Tillis tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a White House event.

October 2020: Cunningham's Affair Acknowledged

In October 2020, Cal Cunningham acknowledged having an extramarital affair. This event reduced his lead in the polls to less than two points before election day.

2020: Effort to Remake Image on Climate Change

During his 2020 Senate campaign, InsideClimate News described Thom Tillis as trying to "remake himself as a moderate proponent of market-based climate solutions" despite a "record as a fossil fuel advocate closely aligned with Trump".

2020: North Carolina Solar Energy Production

In 2020, North Carolina was second in solar energy production.

2020: Support for Soleimani Assassination

In 2020, Thom Tillis expressed support for the U.S. military's assassination of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani via a drone strike at Baghdad International Airport.

2020: Senate Reelected

In 2020, Thom Tillis was reelected to the Senate, defeating Democratic nominee Cal Cunningham.

2020: Reversal on Emergency Declaration

In 2020, after initially opposing Trump's national emergency declaration, Thom Tillis reversed his position and voted in favor of it.

January 2021: Voting Record with Trump

As of January 2021, Thom Tillis had voted with Trump's stated positions 90% of the time.

March 29, 2021: Prostate Cancer Diagnosis Announcement

On March 29, 2021, Thom Tillis announced he had prostate cancer and would be undergoing surgery and treatment, discovered during a routine physical. He encouraged men to have regular prostate health screenings.

May 28, 2021: Vote Against Capitol Attack Commission

On May 28, 2021, Thom Tillis voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the 2021 United States Capitol attack.

August 2021: Statement on Accountability for Capitol Attack

In August 2021, Thom Tillis stated that "many involved" in the 2021 United States Capitol attack "needed to be held accountable and go to prison."

2021: Amendment on Copyrighted Material Streaming

In 2021, Thom Tillis inserted an amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, making the unauthorized commercial streaming of copyrighted material a felony.

July 2022: Support for Bipartisan Same-Sex Marriage Bill

In July 2022, Thom Tillis indicated he would "probably" support a bipartisan bill to codify same-sex marriage in the U.S.

November 2022: Support for Senate's Same-Sex Marriage Bill

In November 2022, Thom Tillis called the Senate's same-sex marriage bill "'a good compromise... based on mutual respect for our fellow Americans'".

November 29, 2022: Vote for the Respect for Marriage Act

On November 29, 2022, Thom Tillis voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which passed the Senate and was enacted, repealing the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and codifying rights to same-sex and interracial marriage into federal law.

2022: Vote Against Honoring our PACT Act

In 2022, Thom Tillis voted against the Honoring our PACT Act, which provided funding for veterans exposed to toxic substances during military service.

2022: Vote for the Respect for Marriage Act

In 2022, Thom Tillis voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which repealed the Defense of Marriage Act and codified same-sex and interracial marriage into federal law.

2022: Support for Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

In 2022, Thom Tillis was one of 15 Republican senators to support the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which included funding for state red flag provisions, school safety resources, stronger background checks for buyers under 21, and penalties for straw purchases.

2023: Senior U.S. Senator

In 2023, Thom Tillis became the state's senior U.S. senator after Richard Burr retired.

February 2025: Criticism of Putin

In February 2025, Thom Tillis called Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal and the "greatest threat of democracy in my lifetime," following President Trump's comments about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

2025: Concerns About Pete Hegseth's Nomination

In 2025, Senator Thom Tillis allegedly told Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth's ex-sister-in-law that a sworn statement about Hegseth's alcohol abuse and alleged abuse of his second wife could influence his and other senators' votes. Tillis ultimately voted to confirm Hegseth after failing to find corroboration, though the New York Times reported Trump threatened a primary challenge.