NC GOP is shunning 2026 party switchers. One candidate says that ‘speaks volumes’
North Carolina Republicans are shunning Charlotte-area primary candidates they say have no real allegiance to the GOP.
The party is distancing itself from state House candidate Kelly VanHorn and U.S. House candidate Kate Barr, both of whom only recently registered as Republicans ahead of the March 3 primary. Party switches are a growing trend among candidates for office in North Carolina.
The Mecklenburg County Republican Party shared a resolution on social media calling VanHorn a “counterfeit candidate.” It notes she’s part of a slate of candidates running in GOP primaries — NC Educators on the Ballot — that’ve been disavowed by the state party.
VanHorn is disqualified “from recognition, endorsement and the utilization of party resources,” the county party’s resolution says. It cites the fact that she only recently switched her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. VanHorn is running against southeast Mecklenburg Rep. Tricia Cotham, famous for her own high-profile party switch.
“As North Carolina continues to move towards Republicans, some disingenuous bad actors now want to play games in our primaries. We trust that on March 3 conservative voters across our state will select Republican candidates who will support the family first agenda that’s made our state the best place to live, work, and retire,” NCGOP Chairman Jason Simmons said in a statement on the Educators candidates.
The 14th Congressional District Republican Party announced a similar resolution denying any support to Barr. The Mecklenburg County Republican Party shared the district party’s resolution on social media, encouraging voters to support incumbent Rep. Tim Moore.
Barr, who ran for office as a Democrat in 2024, has said she switched parties in name only due to gerrymandering. She told the Observer the GOP’s latest resolution shows the party is fearful of her message.
“It speaks volumes that the Republican Party has to go to these lengths to disavow me … If Tim Moore was confident in his actions, these resolutions would be unnecessary,” she said in a statement.
VanHorn said the Educators on the Ballot slate wanted to give voters a choice on issues including school funding but has “been disavowed without even being invited and welcomed to local tables and meetings.”
“We filed with the intent to work with the Republican Party to give a front-line voice in the room when the decisions are being made. We believed that if the members of the local parties knew the actual stories and consequences of current bills, that they would be willing to listen and choose to fully fund public schools because it is the right thing to do for our economy and communities,” she said in a statement.
Primary Election Day is March 3, and early voting is already underway.
This story was originally published February 19, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
