House Speaker Thom Tillis crossed the finish line last night and can take a brief breath of fresh air. However, it will be very brief. In less than two weeks the state House will be in session with its almost $450 million hole, teachers demanding raises and a reminder of why the legislature’s approval rating is less than 30%. 

And at the same time Tillis faces Kay Hagan, he will face rivals in his own party when the legislature reconvenes. Last summer, Tillis was repeatedly outflanked by his counterparts in the Senate. He started moving a bill to create a state health exchange before Senate President Pro-tem Phil Berger let him know that his chamber would have nothing to do with it. And Tillis was undermined by the Republican wing-nuts in the house. He awoke one morning to find that one of his members had introduced a bill to implement a state religion. He never looked like he was fully in control. 

And that’s just what he faces from his own party. Moral Monday protests will welcome the General Assembly into session and the house Democrats are sure to throw a few curve balls his way. Last year, Tillis stuck his foot in his mouth more than once during the session. He called teachers and others who got shorted by the legislature whining  “losers.” He can’t make those mistakes this year.

So before Tillis can focus completely on Hagan, he needs to get through the short session of the legislature without accumulating any more baggage. 

Hagan, for her part, should use the distraction of the legislature to better define herself. Her negatives are too high as the result of anti-Obamacare ads run against her in the fall and winters. She should shore up her standing and try to raise her profile.

As the election moves forward, Tillis and his allies need to make this a national referendum on Obama. Hagan needs to keep the race local and focus on Tillis as the Speaker of an unpopular house. It’s a six month sprint, both sides have their work cut out for them, and North Carolina will once again be in the national political spotlight. 

Thomas Mills

Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more >