Who is Tricia Cotham, and why she left Democratic Party? NC Gov. Cooper now hangs in balance
Tricia Cotham, a former Democrat and now a Republican lawmaker
Republicans will now have a veto-proof majority in both the legislative chambers of North Carolina. Former Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Tricia Cotham, is the woman behind this great achievement of the GOP. On Wednesday, she declared that she will be defecting from the Democratic Party because of bullying from fellow Democrats.
Her defection will now enable the Republicans to bypass Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat. The GOP was just one seat short of the majority in the state house, a gap that has now been filled by Tricia Cotham.
Who is Tricia Cotham?
Cotham is a long-time Democrat from North Carolina. She has served in the state House from 2007 to 2017. Last November, she ran again for the house successfully. Minimum wage, voting rights and bolstering of LGBTQ rights were the key issues that paved the way for her victory. However, her new decision will be landing Republicans in a much more comfortable position in both chambers of the state legislature. The GOP already has a supermajority in the Senate.
How will Tricia Cotham’s decision affect Gov. Roy Cooper?
Gov. Roy Cooper has simply lost control of both the state chambers now. He won’t be able to stop the GOP from enacting their agenda in the swing state. GOP will now easily restrict abortion rights in the state and also tighten voting laws. Since 2017, Cooper has blocked GOP bills and proposals a whopping 75 times, as per a report by NY Times. Now, he has lost his veto.
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That’s why Cooper is now training his guns on Cotham and expressing his disappointment with her defection. “This is a disappointing decision,” Cooper said. He added, "It’s hard to believe she would abandon these long-held principles, and she should still vote the way she has always said she would vote when these issues arise, regardless of party affiliation.”
Why did Cotham leave Democratic Party?
Cotham said she had been bullied by her fellow Democrats and had grown distant from the party over issues like school choice. She made a brief speech in which she stated, "The modern-day Democratic Party has become unrecognisable to me and to so many others throughout this state and this country."
She criticised what she called efforts to "control" her and claimed that Democrats in the state had made personal attacks against her and her young children. “They forced me out”, she claimed.