Thom Tillis
RepublicanU.S. Senator, NC| Age | 65 (b. 1960-08-30) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2015-01-06 (~11 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Education | Attended Chattanooga State Community College; B.S. in Technology Management from University of Maryland University College (1996) |
| Prior occupation | Management consultant and executive at PricewaterhouseCoopers (1990–2002, promoted to partner 1996) and IBM (2002–2009); also worked at Provident Life and Accident Insurance Co. and Wang Laboratories |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Languages | English |
| Marital status | Married — Susan Tillis (married 1987) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Huntersville, North Carolina |
Pending research: notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2003 |
| Previous offices | Cornelius Town Commissioner, NC (2003–2005) · NC House of Representatives, District 98 (2007–2015) · Speaker, NC House of Representatives (2011–2015) |
| Committees | Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs · Senate Committee on Finance · Senate Committee on the Judiciary · Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs · Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission) |
| Caucuses | Senate Human Rights Caucus (Co-Chair, with Sen. Chris Coons) |
| Leadership | Counselor to Senate Republican Leadership (selected by Mitch McConnell, January 2023) |
| Ideology | DW-NOMINATE score approximately 0.389 (solidly conservative but moderate within the Republican caucus; GovTrack ideology score ranked 35th most conservative out of 100 senators as of 2024) |
| Signature legislation | Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022) — landmark gun safety and mental health legislation · Respect for Marriage Act (2022) — codified federal recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages; Tillis was primary Republican architect · Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2021 — allowed veterans and civilians to sue for toxic water exposure · Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act (2022) — mental/behavioral health training for law enforcement · Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act — signed into law by President Obama |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $3,254,049–$11,085,998 (2023) · estimate
| Huntersville Residence | real_estate · –$5,000,000 · 2024 |
| Washington Residence | real_estate · –$1,000,000 · 2024 |
| Nashville Residence | real_estate · –$500,000 · 2024 |
| FBND - Fidelity Total Bond ETF | fund · –$500,000 · 2024 |
| HNACX - Harbor Capital Appreciation Fund (Retirement Class) | fund · –$500,000 · 2024 |
Top donors: Blackstone Group ($67,611 (2020 cycle)) · Truist Financial ($78,155 (2020 cycle)) · Goldman Sachs ($58,475 (2020 cycle))
Top industries: Securities & Investment · Real Estate · Pharmaceutical Manufacturing · Commercial Banking · Lobbyists/Interest Groups · Private Equity
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — NC Republican Party Censure Over Bipartisan Votes on Marriage Equality and Gun Safety
On June 10, 2023, the North Carolina Republican Party voted 799–361 to formally censure Senator Tillis at its annual convention in Greensboro. The resolution cited 'blatant violations' of the party platform, specifically his support for the Respect for Marriage Act (2022), which codified federal recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages, and his support for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022), which included funding for red flag laws. The censure carried no formal legal or Senate consequences, but was a formal party action.