Sen. Thom Tillis throws support behind Hines, NC state Republicans ahead of midterms

Political newcomer Bo Hines often finds himself compared to disgraced Rep. Madison Cawthorn.

But Sen. Thom Tillis, who publicly feuded with Cawthorn earlier this year, isn’t letting public opinion get in the way of supporting Hines.

On Thursday, a source close to Tillis’ campaign told McClatchy that Tillis’ leadership PAC, NC Red, transferred a combined $161,000 to Hines, three organizations and 14 candidates running for North Carolina Supreme Court and the state’s General Assembly.

“This combined with him investing money against Madison Cawthorn says to me that Thom Tillis is a bit of a kingmaker in North Carolina politics — that he has shown not just a willingness, but an ability to tilt the field in the direction he wants it to go,” said Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University. “That doesn’t make him unusual, but it does make him important.”

In April, just weeks ahead of North Carolina’s primary, a super PAC connected to Tillis spent $310,000 on an ad campaigning against Cawthorn, Business Insider reported.

The 27-year-old Republican crossed Tillis after calling him a “Republican in name only” (RINO) at an event in North Carolina. He exacerbated the situation by announcing publicly that his colleagues on the Hill participated in orgies and did key bumps of cocaine. Headline after headline of self-made scandals cost Cawthorn the election.

Hines’ age, looks and political philosophies earned him early comparisons to Cawthorn. Hanging around him didn’t help. Hines has since tried to distance himself from Cawthorn and, Cooper said, from the “Cawthorn wing of the party.”

Hines is running to serve in the 13th Congressional District, North Carolina’s only true swing district, meaning voters there haven’t historically swayed toward a certain political party. Both Hines and his opponent, Democrat Wiley Nickel, have a shot at winning.

Other campaign contributions

Hines is the only congressional candidate to benefit from Tillis’ latest round of PAC donations, which Cooper said demonstrates an overall strategy behind Tillis’ investments in the general election. The donations might be a drop in the bucket for national campaigns, Cooper said, but Tillis’ contributions to state races make a real difference.

“With Joe Biden and Roy Cooper pushing a failed liberal agenda, it’s imperative that Republicans win control of Congress, expand their majorities in the General Assembly, and take back the State Supreme Court from the far-left,” Tillis told McClatchy in a written statement. “I’m proud to support a number of strong conservatives problem solvers who will accomplish that mission.”

Tillis’ PAC provided a $25,000 donation to the Judicial Victory Fund and $5,600 each to Republicans Trey Allen and Richard Dietz, the only Republicans running for the North Carolina Supreme Court.

Dietz currently serves on the state Court of Appeals and Allen is general counsel for the administrative office that oversees North Carolina’s judicial system. Democrats currently hold a majority on the Supreme Court and Republicans want control.

“It reinforces how critical these seats are for both parties,” Cooper said of the donation. “He’s investing smartly. He’s putting his money where it will have the biggest impact.”

Tillis’ PAC gave both the House and Senate caucuses $35,000.

State Sens. Lisa Stone Barnes, Bobby Hanig and Sen. Michael Lee each received $5,600 from the PAC for their state Senate campaigns. All three are in competitive races.

In the House, Tillis’ PAC gave $5,600 each to incumbents Ted Davis and John Bradford and $5,600 to Bill Ward, Timothy Reeder, Ken Fontenot and Stephen Ross. Again, all six are Republicans in competitive races. Bill Brawley, a Republican in a slightly less competitive seat, was given $1,500 by the PAC.

“I would take away the same message that those are some of the more competitive districts in the state of North Carolina,” Cooper said. “This isn’t symbolic money. This isn’t going to (Senate Leader) Phil Berger, who doesn’t have an opponent. This isn’t going to (House Speaker) Tim Moore. This is not about lining the pockets of people with power. This is about getting more Republicans elected.”