GOP Sen. Thom Tillis censured by fellow Republicans over LGBTQ marriage, gun violence positions

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., was censured by Republican delegates in North Carolina over his votes on LGBTQ rights, gun violence and more.

The Saturday vote was taken behind closed doors at the annual North Carolina Republican Party state convention. A two-thirds majority of the party’s 1,801 voting delegates was needed for the measure to pass.

Many delegates criticized Tillis over his work on the Respect for Marriage Act. The legislation guarantees federal recognition of a marriage between two people if the union was valid in the state where they were married, enshrining rights for same-sex and interracial marriages.

The state and national Republican platforms oppose same-sex marriage, but Tillis was a supporter of the legislation and lobbied his fellow Republicans to back the law.

Delegates also criticized Tillis for supporting a measure to fund red flag laws, which allows courts to authorize removing firearms from individuals who may be a risk to themselves or others.

The next Georgia? Biden campaign targets North Carolina to reshape 2024 electoral map

Daniel Keylin, a spokesperson for Tillis, told the Associated Press that the lawmaker “keeps his promises and delivers results.”

“He will never apologize for his work passing the largest tax cut in history, introducing legislation to secure the border and end sanctuary cities, delivering desperately-needed funding to strengthen school safety and protecting the rights of churches to worship freely based on their belief in traditional marriage,” Keylin said.

Jim Forster, a delegate from Guilford, North Carolina, told the outlet that Tillis’ actions “don’t reflect the party’s shift to the right — in fact, they’re moving in the exact wrong direction.”

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NC Republican senator censured over LGBTQ, gun violence positions