North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in the state, suggested that the state should consider expanding Medicaid during a debate on Tuesday night.
The debate included Tillis and Libertarian candidate Sean Haugh but not Tillis’s main rival, incumbent Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC). Tillis’ suggestion came in response to a question about whether he thought the state legislature would expand Medicaid coverage even though it previously refrained from doing it.
In response, Tillis, according to the Charlotte Observer, said it might be a good idea when the state had a better handle on financing the program.
“I would encourage the state legislature and governor to consider it if they’re completely convinced they now have the situation under control,” Tillis said.
Tillis previously backed legislation to stop Medicaid expansion in North Carolina. On Tuesday the Republican nominee said he wasn’t motivated by ideology to stop Medicaid expansion. Rather, according to the Observer, Tillis said that when North Carolina’s auditor told North Carolina’s previous governor money was going to waste on the program, the best response was to not expand it.
The TPM Polltracker average gives Hagan a 0.5 point lead over Tillis.
