Democrat Switches Parties, Hands Republicans Super-Majority in Key Swing State

AP Photo/Cliff Owen

On a day that Donald Trump gets arraigned and charged on frivolous charges in New York, that’s naturally going to dominate the news. But there are other stories out there of great importance taking place. For example, Wisconsin is holding a Supreme Court election on Tuesday that will largely decide the fate of that swing state.

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In North Carolina, though, things are a little less tenuous after a Democrat state representative decided to switch parties, becoming a Republican. More importantly, the move will give the GOP a super-majority in the chamber.

This news comes via Axios.

A North Carolina Democratic lawmaker is expected to flip her party affiliation, multiple Republicans with knowledge of the discussions tell Axios.

• The move would cement Republicans’ toe-hold in a fast-changing swing state, handing them a veto-proof majority in the middle of the legislative session and a clear runway to enact their agenda despite opposition from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

Driving the news: Republicans, who are currently just one seat short of a supermajority in the legislature, have been hoping that state Rep. Tricia Cotham, a Democrat from Charlotte, might switch parties at some point this session, but the prospect began to seem more realistic last week, a Republican House member said.

• Cotham is expected to announce her decision Wednesday.

Democrat Roy Cooper currently serves as the governor of North Carolina and has enjoyed veto power throughout his tenure, which began in 2017. Now, Republicans will have the muscle to bypass him and enact their agenda without any further roadblocks. That’s huge in a state which has become contentious at best over the last several election cycles. Even in 2022, the GOP barely prevailed at the senatorial level with Ted Budd, though they cleaned house regarding the state’s supreme court. The latter will allow them to draw new districts in the future, which is what prompted this party switch by Tricia Cotham.

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Cooper has been neutered politically, and that’s a very good thing. If Republicans deliver for the people, they can help bring the state firmly back into the red corner. That would be huge for North Carolina residents, but also big for any GOP presidential candidate.

Something feels like it’s happening at the state level. While Democrats celebrate mostly empty victories at the national level (i.e. spending money), Republicans are putting in the work at the state level and are bringing about lasting change. In Florida, for example, they’ve passed constitutional carry, a six-week abortion ban, and school choice all within a single week of their special session. North Carolina could be next, with a series of broad proposals seeing passage that could reshape the political landscape there.

That’s not to say that winning at the national level isn’t important. It’s very important given how powerful the federal bureaucracies are. Blowing that cartel up should be a priority. Still, the kind of change that affects people where they are in their everyday lives is typically happening at the state level. It’s good to see Republicans making bigger gains in that arena, and while this party switch is no doubt political in nature (the representative wants to preserve their seat), winning is winning, and I’ll take this victory all day long.

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