Tillis, Thom (1960-…), became a United States senator in 2015. Tillis, a Republican , represents North Carolina . Prior to his election to the Senate , Tillis had been the speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives .
Thomas Roland Tillis was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on Aug. 30, 1960. In 1983, Tillis began a career as a manager and executive for technology and consulting companies. In 1997, he completed a bachelor’s degree in management studies in a distance learning program at the University of Maryland University College.
Tillis moved to Cornelius, North Carolina, in 1998. He was elected to the town’s board of commissioners in 2003 and served through 2005. He won election to the state House of Representatives in 2006 and was reelected in 2008, 2010, and 2012. He was named House speaker in 2011.
As a candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in 2014, Tillis strongly opposed tax increases and defended the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. He defeated incumbent Democratic Senator Kay Hagan in the November election.
