The number one priority for Democrats may be to defeat Donald Trump, but taking back the Senate is equally important. Even if a Democrat is elected President, any hope of passing progressive legislation will be halted if Mitch McConnell remains Senate majority leader. And if Democrats don’t win the Presidency, the Senate will be the only sure-fire check against Trump’s dangerous administration.
Unfortunately, the task of flipping the Senate remains an uphill battle, so it’s important to highlight key competitive races where victory is absolutely necessary. One such race is the election to defeat Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina. Any chance of handing Democrats control of the upper chamber may very well be lost if Tillis prevails.
So what are we up against? A quick glimpse at Tillis’ dismal record shows that he’s nothing more than a Trump stooge. When Trump was enabling racist chants by the crowd at his rally, Tillis was right there in his company. In true sycophantic fashion, he went on to shamelessly defend Trump’s conduct amidst the public outrage that followed.
It’s no secret that Tillis has firmly aligned himself with Trump ahead of his 2020 reelection bid. He’s even proudly touting his status as honorary state chair for Trump’s reelection campaign. And his silence regarding Trump’s racist rhetoric can be seen, rightly, as an endorsement of this type of abhorrent behavior. The blind loyalty exhibited by Tillis is inconsistent with the character we expect from a senator sworn to defend the Constitution of the United States.
Tillis’ votes in Congress could similarly be seen as a rubber stamp for Trump’s agenda. He has voted in line with Trump nearly all of the time, including to repeal Obamacare, block election security legislation, and pass the GOP tax scam, as well as to confirm every one of his far-right judicial nominees. He has also voted to support Trump’s emergency declaration, pulling military funding to pay for a useless border wall. He has even expressed support for Trump’s heartless immigration policy, offering a proposal that localities be required to cooperate with ICE as they round up and deport immigrants. Not surprisingly, there was no expression of outrage from Tillis over family separation and the caging of migrant children at the border. On the contrary, these are practices that he earnestly supports.
This is just a cursory look at Thom Tillis’ record, but it paints a pretty clear picture of the type of senator he has chosen to be — a senator deserving of defeat in 2020. The path to flipping the Senate runs right through this race and an election as competitive as this requires that all Democrats take action.
Consider donating to the future Democratic opponent of Thom Tillis. This nominee fund is a great way to bolster the Democratic candidate chosen to take on Tillis.
While further volunteer opportunities will be available in the future, donating to this fund will allow us to gain an early advantage in an election as crucial as this. Send a message Thom’s complicity will no longer be tolerated.