RALEIGH, N.C. — It appears the Republicans in the state House of Representatives will have a supermajority after all. After going into this legislative session one seat short of the three-fifths marker, apparently Mecklenburg County Rep. Tricia Ann Cotham will announce a switch of her party affiliation on Wednesday.

What You Need To Know

  • Mecklenburg County Rep. Tricia Ann Cotham will announce a switch to the Republican Party Wednesday

  • Her switch will give the GOP a supermajority in the House

  • The House will be able to override Gov. Roy Cooper's vetoes

On Tuesday afternoon, Rep. Robert Reives, the House Democratic Leader, confirmed in a press release that Cotham was leaving the party.

In his statement, Reives said “Rep. Tricia Cotham campaigned as a Democrat and supporter of abortion rights, health care, public education, gun safety, and civil rights. The voters of House District 112 elected her to serve as that person and overwhelmingly supported Democratic candidates up and down the ballot. Now, just a few months later, Rep. Cotham is changing parties.”

He also called on her to resign.

House Speaker Tim Moore also sent out an afternoon release, announcing a “major announcement” at a press conference with Cotham, U.S. Congressman Dan Bishop and N.C. House and Senate Republican leaders at the North Carolina GOP headquarters Wednesday morning.

Earlier in the day, neither Reives nor Moore would confirm reports that Cotham was leaving the Democratic caucus for the Republican caucus.

A few months ago, Cotham was one of several moderate Democrats given committee chair positions by Moore.

Last week in the first veto override vote of the session, Cotham was one of three Democrats who was not present on the floor, lowering the three-fifths threshold that Republicans needed to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a handgun bill.

On Tuesday, Cotham was not present at her committee meetings.

Right before the House session began, her desk on the floor was cleared out and moved. Instead of being on the Democratic side, she instead sat across the floor on the Republican side.

 

Cotham was escorted into the session by Republican leaders and staffers and did not respond to questions. She quickly left the floor after the session.