
Dem takes aim at Trump in 2026 Senate launch video for 'tanking our economy'
Fox News
Democratic former Rep. Wiley Nickel is aiming to unseat GOP Sen. Thom Tillis in 2026, saying the North Carolina Republican is helping President Donald Trump in 'tanking our economy.'
Nickel, an attorney who served as a staffer in former President Barack Obama's administration before winning election as a state senator and later serving one term in Congress, is the first major Democrat to launch a campaign in the 2026 Senate race in North Carolina.
Democrats haven't won a Senate election in North Carolina since 2008, but they view Tillis as vulnerable. While Trump carried the state in his 2024 presidential election victory by three points – an improvement over his razor-thin margin in 2020 – Democrats won the statewide races for governor, attorney general and secretary of state.