Thom Tillis

State Rep. Thom Tillis, R-Cornelius, said Saturday he’s seeking re-election to a third term as the 98th District representative in the state House of Representatives.

Filing for state and local races in the November election begins on Monday, Feb. 8.

Rep. Tillis was first elected in 2006, after defeating incumbent John Rhodes in the Republican primary. He was unopposed in the general election that year and also was unopposed when he won re-election in 2008.

The 98th district includes an area from northwest Charlotte to Davidson, Cornelkus and Huntersville, to northeast Charlotte. As of January it had 83,702 registered voters, making it one of the largest state house districts.

Rep. Tillis is the House Republican Whip in the 2009-2010 session. He is a former Cornelius town commissioner (2003-5) and is a banking industry management consultant at IBM Corp., according to a biography on his website.

In announcing his re-election bid, he said he’ll be focused on the economy and cutting taxes. “In this election cycle, I will work hard to earn your support, and I will continue to help my colleagues as we work to get House members who are committed to creating jobs, improving North Carolina’s economy, and reducing the tax burden on working families and small businesses,” he wrote in an email to supporters Saturday.

See his campaign website, www.thomtillis.com