North Carolina GOP Censures Sen. Thom Tillis for Straying from Party Platform

The North Carolina Republican Party has censured Sen. Thom Tillis for not adhering to the party’s platform on issues such as guns, immigration, and LGBTQ+ rights. The censure came during the party’s convention on Saturday, where Tillis was criticized for “straying from the conservative principles that got him elected.”

Tillis is the latest Republican lawmaker to face censure from their own party, joining the likes of Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah. While censure does not come with any legal consequences, it is a formal rebuke that can damage a politician’s reputation and political future.

In a statement, Tillis said he was “disappointed” by the censure, but remains committed to working with his fellow Republicans to advance conservative policies. “I have always been a strong supporter of the Republican Party and its principles, and I will continue to fight for those principles in Congress,” he said.

The censure resolution specifically cited Tillis’ vote to overturn former President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration to fund a border wall, his support for background checks on gun sales, and his co-sponsorship of the DREAM Act, which offers a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children.

The resolution also criticized Tillis for not defending “traditional marriage and family values” and for opposing a bill that would have protected businesses that refuse service to LGBTQ+ individuals based on religious beliefs.

While Tillis has been censured by the North Carolina Republican Party, it remains to be seen whether this will have any impact on his political career. The senator is up for re-election in 2022 and is expected to face a tough challenge from Democrats in a state that has become increasingly competitive in recent years.