RALEIGH, N.C. -- A retired North Carolina financier challenging Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis in next year's GOP primary says he'd stand with President Donald Trump on issues like cutting foreign aid and immigration.

  • Garland Tucker of Raleigh formally announced his candidacy Wednesday
  • Tills' campaign earlier this week labeled Tucker an "anti-Trump activist''
  • Tucker acknowledged resisting Trump's presidential nomination and criticized his personal history in 2016

Garland Tucker of Raleigh formally announced his candidacy Wednesday, two days after filing paperwork to create a campaign committee. Tucker's campaign says he made the announcement on Sean Hannity's national radio show.

A video on Tucker's website highlights when Tillis initially said he'd oppose Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, only to ultimately vote for it. The ad says Tillis "flip-flopped.''

Tills' campaign earlier this week labeled Tucker an "anti-Trump activist'' with a long record of criticizing the president. In a September 2016 op-ed, Tucker acknowledged resisting Trump's presidential nomination and criticized his personal history.