Tillis retirement leaves unclear IP future in Senate

By Nick Robertson ( July 3, 2025, 19:26 GMT | Comment) -- With the strongest patent advocate set to leave the Senate after the 2026 election, there is no clear successor to North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis’s leadership among Republicans. Tillis’s retirement announcement also throws his current patent agenda up in the air, with potentially less leverage to get his key IP bills passed in the next 18 months.Republican North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis surprised the political world last weekend in announcing that he won't seek reelection in 2026, citing his opposition to Medicaid cuts in President Trump’s budget reconciliation bill and facing threats of a primary challenge. The move throws the balance of the Senate into question, with Democrats eager to pick up his seat. But the announcement is also grave news in the intellectual property space....

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Tillis retirement leaves unclear IP future in Senate

Prepare for tomorrow’s regulatory change, today

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