After redistricting this year made it harder for Democrats to get reelected, Rep. Wiley Nickel on Thursday said he will not run for a second term in Congress. Instead, he will look to a run for U.S. Senate in 2026.

What You Need To Know

  •  North Carolina Rep. Wiley Nickel will not run for a second term in the U.S. House, his office said Thursday

  •  Nickel will instead look at a bid for U.S. Senate in 2026, when the seat currently held by Sen. Thom Tillis will be up for election

  •  The latest round of redistricting by the GOP-led General Assembly has made more of North Carolina's congressional districts lean Republican

  • Democrats Rep. Kathy Manning and Rep. Jeff Jackson have also said they are not running for reellection because of gerrymandered districts

His announcement follows a similar move by Democrats Rep. Kathy Manning, who represents Greensboro and part of the surrounding Triad area, and Rep. Jeff Jackson of Charlotte. Both districts were redrawn to favor Republicans in the 2024 congressional elections.

“Republicans have rigged the system to favor themselves and I don’t have a path to run for re-election in the 13th district. But I’m not giving up and neither should you,” Nickel said in a statement, according to the Associated Press.

Nickel, 48, confirmed Thursday that he is considering running for U.S. Senate in 2026. That seat is currently held by Sen. Thom Tillis. 

He has represented North Carolina's 13th Congressional District, which includes Johnston County and parts of Wake, Harnett and Wayne counties. Nickel defeated Trump-endorsed Bo Hines for the seat in 2021.

Nickel, a lawyer who lives in Cary, won two terms in the North Carolina Senate before he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Redistricting two years ago turned into a monthslong political and legal saga, with the North Carolina Supreme Court tossing out the political maps and ordering them redrawn. The state ended up with an evenly split congressional delegation, with seven Republicans and seven Democrats. 

The new maps will help Republicans hold onto their majority in the U.S. House. Under the current districts for the 2024 election, Republicans can expect to win 10 or 11 of North Carolina's 14 seats in the House, according to redistricting experts.

Nickel will be on Spectrum News 1's Capital Tonight at 7 p.m. Thursday to talk about his decision and what's next in his political career.