Nickel raises $2.4M in 2026 U.S. Senate bid to unseat Tillis
Ahead of his formal announcement for Senate, former Rep. Wiley Nickel spoke at a packed 'empty chair' town hall for Sen. Thom Tillis in March. (Photo: Brandon Kingdollar/NC Newsline)
Democratic former U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel has raised $2.4 million this year in his quest to oust Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis in the 2026 election.
Last week marked the Federal Election Commission's most recent quarterly filing deadline for the period between Jan. 1 and March 31 — the first complete period following the 2024 election in November.
Nickel's haul was a notable increase over last quarter, when he raised less than $3,000. After spending nearly $2 million this year, he has about $520,000 left on hand.
Nickel, who declined to run for a second U.S. House term due to gerrymandering heavily favoring a GOP victory in his district, formally launched his campaign against Tillis earlier this month. He's the first Democrat to officially declare his candidacy for the seat.
The numbers are still dwarfed by Tillis, who has the incumbent's advantage a year and a half out from the election.
He reported raising more than $5.6 million during the filing period and spending nearly $2.5 million, leaving him with just over $4 million in the bank.
North Carolina's 2026 Senate race is anticipated to be one of the nation's most competitive and expensive. As he seeks his third term, Tillis is the only Republican senator up for reelection in a 2024 swing state.
It's a must-win for Democrats, who would need to retain all of their incumbents and win four additional seats to become the majority party.
As a more moderate member of his party, Tillis has come under fire for breaking from MAGA guidelines. As such, he risks a primary challenger from a Trump-endorsed candidate.
He's possibly found one in Don Brown, a lawyer from Charlotte who has provided aid to clients participating in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and who embraces a an aggressively pro-MAGA agenda, according to his campaign website.
Brown raised $21,600 in the first quarter. That's not an insignificant amount for a largely unknown first-time candidate whose team filed paperwork to enter the race in February — halfway through the filing period. These contributions came from 18 individuals who donated between $250 and $3,500 each.
Having spent just under $2,000 during the period, Brown has about $20,500 remaining on hand.
Andy Nilsson, a retired businessman and former candidate for lieutenant governor, declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination at the start of the year. Nilsson did not file a campaign finance report for the quarter.
On the Democratic side, the party is eyeing former Gov. Roy Cooper for a run. Cooper, who left the executive mansion in January, has yet to announce his intentions.
Aside from North Carolina, it looks like Democrats' most viable pick-up opportunities in 2026 could be Maine, where GOP Sen. Susan Collins is running for her sixth term, and a special election in Ohio to replace Vice President JD Vance.
In addition to already holding the majority in the chamber, the map is more favorable for Republicans. The party could seize seats in the battleground states of Georgia and Michigan, where Sen. Gary Peters' retirement leads to an open seat.
Democratic Sens. Tina Smith of Minnesota and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire have also announced their retirements. This means the party will need to recruit candidates to hold on to those seats.
Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado could also depart the Senate next year if he is successful in his run for governor. His seat isn't up until 2028, though, and he does not need to resign to run.
If he wins, Bennet will likely be able to appoint his successor to the Senate seat for Colorado.
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Axios
28 minutes ago
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USA Today
43 minutes ago
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Hamilton Spectator
43 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Justice Department's early moves on voting and elections signal a shift from its traditional role
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Justin Levitt, a former deputy assistant attorney general in the department's civil rights division, said most of the DOJ's actions appeared reasonable and focused on issues that had already been raised by conservative activists in those states. They also are the type that would be expected from a conservative administration, he said, with the exception of the Colorado request. He called that 'well out of bounds.' 'This administration has prioritized grievance, even perceived grievance when there is no basis in fact,' said Levitt, who also served as a senior policy adviser in the Biden administration. 'And it's dismaying, but not surprising, that the civil rights division would do the same.' Department wants records related to the 2020 election The department's request to Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, asked for all records relating to last year's presidential election. Federal law requires those to be kept for 22 months. In the request, the department stated it had received a complaint alleging that Griswold's office was not in compliance with federal law relating to voter registration. The request also directs Griswold to preserve any records of the 2020 election that might still be in the state's possession. Griswold, in an interview, called the request a 'fishing expedition' and said her office responded by providing state voting files. 'I'm not even sure they know what they are looking for,' Griswold said. 'They can request all the data they want, and it's not going to prove anything.' North Carolina elections have been a particular target for Republicans In North Carolina, where Republican lawmakers recently wrested control of the state election board from the Democratic governor, Justice Department lawyers filed a lawsuit accusing state election officials of failing to ensure that all voter records include identifying information, such as a driver's license. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who oversees the civil rights division , said in a statement announcing the lawsuit that accurate voter rolls are critical to ensuring elections are conducted 'fairly, accurately, and without fraud.' The previous board had acknowledged the issue and updated the state's voter registration form. The new board leadership has vowed to address it. Skeptical of the motives In Wisconsin, which Trump won in 2016 and 2024 but lost in 2020, department lawyers recently sent a letter to the state election commission accusing it of not providing a complaint process for those raising concerns. This comes as Republican state lawmakers are pushing legislation to expand the ability to appeal decisions made by the six-member commission, which is equally divided between Republicans and Democrats. Republican lawmakers have long complained about commission decisions they perceive as benefiting Democrats. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, a law firm that frequently defends Republicans on election issues, supports both efforts, said Lucas Vebber, the firm's deputy counsel. 'It's ensuring that Wisconsinites are entitled to have their complaints heard and adjudicated,' he said. 'As something as important as our elections, it's vital to ensure that process is transparent and available to everyone.' Rep. Lee Snodgrass, a Democrat on the Wisconsin Legislature's elections committee, said state law needs some tightening around how election complaints are handled, but she's dubious about the motives of the Trump administration and conservative activists in the state. They are looking for ways 'to cast doubt on election integrity, so if they don't get the results they want they can cry foul,' Snodgrass said. Concerns about future actions In Arizona, DOJ lawyers said the state was not clearly telling voter registration applicants to provide a driver's license if they have one and asked the state to conduct a review to identify any noncitizens. Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, responded by saying Arizona requires those registering to vote in state and local elections to provide proof of citizenship and conducts checks using the state's motor vehicle records. In Oregon, Justice Department lawyers weighed in on an ongoing lawsuit filed by the conservative group Judicial Watch. It alleges the state has failed to comply with federal laws on maintaining voter lists and making these records available for public inspection. John Powers, a former Justice Department attorney who now serves as legal director for the Advancement Project, said he was concerned about the moves coupled with the Justice Department's staff departures and its withdrawal from voting rights cases. Powers said he hoped, with midterm elections next year, that the department would not pursue minor technical issues in a way that could undermine public confidence in elections. 'I would be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about what the future might hold,' he said. ___ Bauer reported from Madison, Wisconsin. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
