Sen. Thom Tillis Announces Senior Staff For 2026 Reelection Campaign
Republican Senator Thom Tillis announced his senior campaign staff for his 2026 reelection campaign effort.
Meet the team:
Paul Shumaker, General Consultant: Shumaker is a long-time North Carolina political consultant who has worked with Tillis for over a decade. His presence on the campaign brings detailed knowledge of North Carolina and how to wisely deploy resources to win statewide elections in the Tar Heel state.
Tony Fabrizio, Pollster and Strategist: Fabrizio is a leading Republican pollster on the national scene with a track record of helping elect dozens of Republican Senators, Governors, and Congressmen. Most recently, he served as the lead pollster on all three of President Trump’s campaigns.
Brett O’Donnell: Messaging Strategist: O’Donnell is a longtime Republican messaging consultant and will serve again as Tillis’ debate coach.
Tim Saler: Data Consultant: Saler is a managing partner at Grassroots Targeting. Previously, he served as the chief data consultant for President Trump’s historic 2024 presidential campaign.
Jim McCray: National Fundraiser: McCray is a prolific national fundraiser for Republicans. He previously served as a Senior Advisor and managed the fundraising operation for the Trump-Vance 2024 campaign, overseeing fundraising efforts that raised $1.1 billion in 8 months.
Tara Emory Mingledorff: North Carolina Fundraiser: Mingledorff will return as Sen. Tillis’s in-state fundraiser. She previously served as the finance director for the Club for Growth and as a lead fundraiser for Sen. Tedd Budd.
Tandy Harrison: DC-based Fundraiser: Harrison will continue in her role leading DC-based and leadership PAC fundraising efforts.
Abby Roesch: Campaign manager: Roesch will serve as the campaign manager. She previously served as the political director for Sen. Dave McCormick’s Senate Campaign, the only swing state Republican to oust a Democrat incumbent Senator. Additionally, Roesch
Tim’s Take: The senior staff announcement from Team Tillis shows a blend of deep North Carolina knowledge and leaders in Republican campaign tactics in regard to data, polling, and fundraising. It shows Tillis did his best to secure a team that can win what may be the most expensive Senate race in history.
Additionally, the announcement of key staffers from the Trump and Club for Growth orbit indicates that, at least at this moment, it is highly unlikely that there is a serious Trump-backed primary candidate secretly preparing to launch. This will certainly be unwelcome news for Team Cooper and other liberals who would love to see Republicans engage in a divisive primary, as Cooper cruises to a coronation. But as of right now, Tillis is the only serious candidate currently campaigning, and his staff announcements show that he plans to raise the necessary funds to compete.
