Where was Sen. Thom Tillis before his positive COVID-19 result?
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis had a busy week.
With just a month left to go before the election, the incumbent Republican in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race spent the final days of September and the first days of October attending meet and greets, round tables and a debate in North Carolina against his Democratic opponent, Cal Cunningham. In Washington, he met with Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, voted on the Senate floor and agreed to an interview with a News & Observer reporter.
Then Tillis tested positive for COVID-19, just one day after President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump announced they had the novel coronavirus, too.
Tillis was one of hundreds who attended the ceremony announcing Barrett’s nomination for the Supreme Court at the White House last Saturday evening. Since then, more than a half-dozen people who attended the event announced they tested positive.
Tillis’s wife, Susan, tested negative for the virus Saturday, and none of his staff members have tested positive “at this point,” campaign spokesman Andrew Romeo told The News & Observer.
“Campaign staffers who were exposed to Senator Tillis this week will continue to be tested in the coming days,” Romeo said.
Here are some of the places The News & Observer confirmed Tillis visited and who he’s been with since the ceremony.
MONDAY 9/28
6:30 p.m. Tillis’ wife, Susan, attended a rally at Finnigan’s Run Farm in Wake County where Lara Trump was a featured speaker, according to a Facebook post by the North Carolina Trump Victory Veterans. About 200 people attended the event, according to WRAL, and there appears to have been little social distancing in a photo of the event posted to Facebook.
TUESDAY 9/29
At some point on Tuesday, Tillis stopped at Parker’s Barbecue for a conversation with “law enforcement leaders,” according to a Facebook post.
12:00 p.m. The Onslow County Republican party hosted a meet and greet with Tillis in Jacksonville, according to a digital invitation. The event was held indoors, according to someone who answered the Onslow County GOP’s main number. The N&O could not determine how many people attended the event, but the event was invitation only. The party said in an email sent Saturday that the event was “low risk.”
“The message we received from Thom Tillis officials was that the Onslow event was a very low risk — the Senator was masked and not out in the crowd of folks,” the email, written by Onslow County Republican Party Secretary Melinda Highers said. “Unless they were within 6 feet, unmasked, attendees have no immediate cause of concern.”
4:45 p.m. Tillis made a stop at his Greenville field office, according to a post in a Facebook group. The N&O could not determine how many people were there.
5:30 p.m. Susan Tillis attended a Black Voters Matter Rally in Raleigh. About 300 people registered for the event, according to the North State Journal, and at least 11 Republican candidates attended. North Carolina GOP Chairman Michael Whatley also attended the event. Two photos Whatley posted to Twitter show people, most without masks, seated close together.
WEDNESDAY 9/30
Lunchtime: GOP senators held their weekly lunch. The N&O could not determine if Tillis attended.
3:00 p.m. Tillis met with N&O reporter Brian Murphy for a short interview. Both wore masks.
3:45 p.m. Tillis met with Barrett ahead of her Senate Judiciary confirmation hearing. Photos posted to social media show neither wore masks.
6:32 p.m. Tillis cast a vote on the Senate floor.
THURSDAY 10/1
1:05 p.m. Tillis cast a vote on the Senate floor.
Thursday afternoon Tillis took a charter from Washington to North Carolina. The flight crew has been notified of his positive test result, campaign spokesman Romeo said.
7 p.m. Tillis attended a debate against his opponent, Cal Cunningham, moderated by Tim Boyum of Spectrum News.
Friday 10/2
Tillis announced he tested positive for coronavirus and has remained quarantined in his home in Huntersville since he received his results, according to his campaign.
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This story was originally published October 3, 2020 at 2:34 PM.
