NC endorsement: Our choice in a consequential race featuring Tricia Cotham

In November 2022, Democrats thought they had managed to fend off a Republican supermajority in the North Carolina House of Representatives. That changed when Rep. Tricia Cotham, elected by voters as a Mecklenburg County Democrat, decided to change her party affiliation to Republican.

Protecting that seat and reelecting Cotham will be critical for Republicans if they want to preserve their narrow supermajority in the House.

Cotham is seeking reelection in House District 105, which has been redrawn to include Cotham’s home of Mint Hill and parts of south Charlotte. It slightly favors Republicans, but could be winnable for Democrats under the right circumstances.

We endorsed Cotham in 2022 because, like the voters who elected her, we believed she was the person she purported to be: an experienced candidate with progressive stances on issues like reproductive rights. But mere months after taking office, she turned her back on her constituents and the values she claimed to espouse — casting votes that endangered LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive freedom despite vowing to be a champion of both. Once a fierce advocate for public schools, she led efforts to radically expand private school vouchers.

Cotham deceived and betrayed voters. Republicans might like the results, but voters of either party should be wary of someone who is so wholly untrustworthy. How can anyone believe that she is who she says she is now, and that she won’t take office and flip-flop in some fashion again?

Democrats have fielded a strong opponent in Nicole Sidman, the director of congregational life at Temple Beth El. Sidman is dedicated to her community and has a strong grasp of the issues her district cares about, and she’s determined to build back the trust voters lost in their government when Cotham switched parties. She would be a representative for all of her district. We recommend Sidman.