Anti-Trump Republican Don Bacon won’t run for reelection amid GOP civil war
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A Republican representing a key swing congressional district will not run for reelection in the midterms.
Representative Don Bacon (R-Neb.), of Nebraska’s Second District announced Monday that ‘after consultation with [his] family & much prayer, [he] decided not to seek reelection in 2026.’
Bacon is a moderate member of the GOP caucus, and has often clashed with Trump throughout his tenure as well as the MAGA wing of the Republican party.
Currently undecided on the Senate version of Trump ‘big, beautiful’ budget bill, Bacon has raised concerns over cuts to Medicaid, the government’s healthcare program.
As Nebraska splits its electoral college votes, Bacon’s district is one that both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won in their respective presidential elections despite the state’s overall Republican lean.
Democrats are sure to look at Bacon’s retirement as a key pickup opportunity next year.
Bacon is the latest anti-Trump Republican to cement his 2026 plans.
On Sunday, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis revealed that he is not seeking reelection in 2026 amid a new brewing GOP civil war.
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) arrives for a House Republican conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol on May 6, 2025 in Washington, DC. House Republicans are meeting to discuss their reconciliation budget plan
‘As many of my colleagues have noticed over the last year, and at times even joked about, I haven’t exactly been excited about running for another term,’ Tillis said in a statement.
‘That is true since the choice is between spending another six years navigating the political theatre and partisan gridlock in Washington or spending that time with the love of my life Susan, our two children, three beautiful grandchildren, and the rest of our extended family back home.
‘It’s not a hard choice, and I will not be seeking re-election,’ he added.
The move comes as Tillis drew the ire of Trump over his opposition to the president’s ‘big, beautiful’ budget bill currently making its way through the U.S. Senate.
Tillis was one of two Republican senators who voted against the ‘motion to proceed’ on Trump’s budget bill Saturday evening, along with Kentucky Republican Rand Paul.
In a post made to his social media site Truth Social Sunday morning, President Trump came after Tillis, claiming that he ‘hurt the great people of North Carolina’ and calling him a ‘talker and complainer.’
‘Thom Tillis has hurt the great people of North Carolina. Even on the catastrophic flooding, nothing was done to help until I took office. Then a Miracle took place! Tillis is a talker and complainer, Not A Doer! He’s even worse than Rand ‘Fauci’ Paul,’ Trump wrote on Sunday morning.
Republican North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis has revealed that he is not seeking reelection in the 2026 midterms
In a post made to his social media site Truth Social Sunday morning, President Trump came after Tillis, claiming that he ‘hurt the great people of North Carolina’ and calling him a ‘talker and complainer’
Tillis, who was set to face a reelection fight in a critical swing state next year in the 2026 midterms, raised significant concerns this week over the budget bill’s deep cuts to Medicaid.
Tillis shared projections that his state could lose $38.9 billion, impacting more than 600,000 North Carolinians.
Cutting Medicaid was seen by a number of Republicans as a way to pay for the president’s policy agenda, which includes increases in areas such as border security, which the White House asked to be at $150 billion.
Notably, Republican leaders in Tillis’ own state said they were willing to work with the hand they were dealt by Washington.
North Carolina’s State Senate Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger wrote on X, formerly Twitter Saturday that he supports ‘@realDonaldTrump’s Big Beautiful Bill and the legislature will work through any implementation issues.’
North Carolina is state that Trump has narrowly won in all three of his elections, yet still sees Democrat leadership at the state level, making it a swing state.
It is also home to a number of nationally prominent Republicans who could be frontrunners to replace Tillis, such as National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chairman Richard Hudson and Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Whatley.
Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump – wife of his son Eric – is also from the state, and could potentially make a bid for the seat. After serving as the RNC Co-Chair in 2024, Lara Trump is now the host of My View with Lara Trump on Fox News.
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) listens during a Senate Judiciary Hearing on June 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. Republican Senate committee members held the hearing to discuss the alleged cover up of former U.S. President Joe Biden’s health and decline
