NC Lawmaker Announces Blockbuster Switch to GOP: Dems ‘Villainize Anyone Who Has Free Thought’

Tricia Cotham, a former North Carolina Representative who returned to the state house in January as a Democrat, made an unexpected announcement on Wednesday: she is now a Republican. She claimed that the Democratic Party has become unrecognizable to her, and that it bullies and tries to control her, even making personal attacks against her children. Cotham’s move gave the Republican Party in the state legislature a veto-proof majority in both chambers, bolstering their power and limiting that of the Democratic governor.

Cotham accused the Democratic Party of villainizing individuals who have independent thought, judgment, solutions, and a strong work ethic to better the state. Despite having run as a Democrat in the previous election, Cotham’s claims suggest a shift in her political views. Her party switch also dealt another blow to Governor Roy Cooper’s already veto-threatened government.

Cotham’s party switch will help Republicans push forward their legislative agenda without the need to compromise heavily with the governor. With a supermajority in both the state House and the Senate, Republicans are better-positioned to enact long-awaited legislation regarding abortion, election laws, education reform, and other critical issues.