Thomas Roland Tillis is an American businessman and politician serving as the senior United States senator from North Carolina, a seat he has held since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Tillis served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 2007 to 2015, and as its speaker from 2011 to 2015. Tillis was elected to the Senate in 2014, defeating Democratic incumbent Kay Hagan, and reelected in 2020. He became the state's senior U.S. senator when Richard Burr retired in 2023.