Veto-Proof Power: N.C. GOP Gains Ground with Party Flip

Picture this: A political landscape where where truth and law & order could actually make a comeback, all thanks to a single, unexpected decision.

Imagine the ripple effects this move could have on key issues – from abortion to election laws. You might think such a scenario would be too good to be true for conservatives, but it’s happening right now, in North Carolina.

That’s right, folks. The GOP just gained a crucial advantage in the state legislature, and it’s all because one lawmaker decided she’d had enough.

She wasn’t going to sit back and let herself be pushed around any longer. It was time to take a stand and make a move that would change the game in a major way.

North Carolina Democrat Tricia Cotham is now a Republican:

"The modern day Democratic Party has become unrecognizable to me… If you don't do exactly what the Democrats want you to do, they will try to bully you. They will try to cast you aside."pic.twitter.com/7n0QxTXbEw

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) April 5, 2023

State Rep. Tricia Cotham is switching her political party and joining the GOP.

Her decision will give Republicans a veto-proof majority in the state legislature.@triciacotham

Welcome to the MAGA movement! And thank you!!
Help us save America!!🙏 pic.twitter.com/PzGHOHcQ9v

— Sheri™ (@FFT1776) April 5, 2023

North Carolina State Rep. Tricia Cotham has switched her political party to Republican, giving the GOP a veto-proof majority in the state House of Representatives in the middle of the legislative session. https://t.co/uOQhVV8Gkc pic.twitter.com/b82x3xpYmx

— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) April 5, 2023

Now, you might be wondering why this is such a big deal.

After all, politicians change their stances all the time, right? But this isn’t just any change.

This is a party flip that hands the Republicans a veto-proof supermajority in North Carolina’s legislature – and it has the potential to reshape the political landscape for years to come.

In fact, according to The Washington Post:

A North Carolina state lawmaker elected as a Democrat is defecting to the GOP, handing Republicans a veto-proof supermajority in the state’s legislature.

Rep. Tricia Cotham’s party change gives the GOP more power over key issues such as abortion and elections.

Announcing the flip Wednesday, Cotham cited her treatment by Democrats as her motivation. “They have pushed me out. They’ve made it very clear they do not want me,” she said at a news conference at the North Carolina GOP headquarters in Raleigh.

Cotham, wearing red and standing in front of NCGOP signs, said the turning point in her decision was when she faced backlash for using the American flag and a prayer-hands emoji in her social media handles and on her vehicles.

She said she’s been “bullied” for not toeing the party line. She accused Gov. Roy Cooper (D) and the state Democratic Party of demanding she follow the lead of top state officials.Reports first surfaced of Cotham’s switch Tuesday, prompting North Carolina Democrats to call for Cotham’s resignation for her “deceit” and “betrayal.”

The change, first reported by Axios Raleigh, comes in the middle of the legislative session during which Cooper signed into law bipartisan legislation expanding Medicaid and tried to use his veto to stop a Republican bill expanding gun access. Cooper called Cotham’s move “disappointing.”

“Rep. Cotham’s votes on women’s reproductive freedom, election laws, LGBTQ rights and strong public schools will determine the direction of the state we love,” Cooper said in a statement to The Washington Post. “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.”

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Cotham, who represents part of Mecklenburg County, beat her Republican opponent by nearly 20 percentage points last year after a crowded Democratic primary. She ran on raising the minimum wage to at least $15 per hour, championing LGBTQ rights and expanding access to Medicaid, voting and affordable housing, according to her campaign website.

Cotham did not return requests for comment Tuesday but appeared at the Wednesday news conference with North Carolina Republican leaders. She said she changed parties in part because she felt she couldn’t freely express herself as a Democrat without facing internal criticism, often publicly.

In last year’s midterm elections, North Carolina Republicans won a supermajority in the Senate — meaning they hold 60 percent of seats — and were one seat shy of the same in the House. Now, Cotham becomes the 72nd Republican in the 120-seat state House, getting the GOP to the 60 percent threshold there, too.

Folks, if an ELECTED Democrat left her own party because she realizes just how crazy they are, then imagine what is happening among independent voters.

Imagine what is happening among people who still have common sense!

This bodes well for the upcoming 2024 elections!

Breaking: NC Democratic lawmaker Rep. Tricia Cotham is expected to switch her party affiliation to Republican, handing NC Republicans a legislative supermajority and the votes to override D Gov. Roy Cooper mid-legislative session. #ncpol https://t.co/fF7Y9RArHh

— Lucille Sherman (@_lucillesherman) April 4, 2023

BREAKING: North Carolina Representative Tricia Cotham (D) planning to switch parties.

This would give Republicans the supermajority needed to override the governor’s veto of school choice.

The Senate introduced a universal school choice bill with enough cosponsors to override. pic.twitter.com/jGDCymcdAv

— Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) April 4, 2023

JUST IN: North Carolina Democrat switches parties, now says she's open to abortion restrictions.

In a span of a few months, state Rep. Tricia Cotham has gone from pushing to codify abortion rights to joining the party taking them away. https://t.co/BFagobZn7T

— Alanna Vagianos (@AlannaVagianos) April 5, 2023

For over a decade, Republicans have held sway in both chambers of North Carolina’s legislature, but there’s been a catch – the governor’s veto power has always kept them in check.

But now, everything’s about to change.

A single lawmaker’s potential flip could unlock the GOP’s legislative dreams, giving them the freedom to push their agenda without needing to compromise. This would open doors for reforms in areas like abortion, election laws, and education.

So, what’s the catalyst for this monumental change? It’s hard to pin down the exact reason, as the lawmaker in question isn’t spilling the beans. But one recent event offers a clue: a controversial vote on gun laws. Skipping this crucial vote led to a tidal wave of backlash from her own party, leaving the lawmaker battered and bruised.

In the face of such relentless criticism, it’s no wonder that some believe this chain of events is driving the lawmaker to consider changing sides. As one fellow moderate Democrat put it, “I think she just wanted to do what’s best for her district… I think this is what happens.”

Why does this matter? According to Axios:

Why it matters: Republicans have held majorities in both the state House and the Senate for more than a decade, but in recent years, the threat of Cooper’s veto has kept the party’s power in check.

A supermajority could free up party leaders to more easily push long-hoped-for legislation restricting abortion and all but eliminate their need to compromise with the governor on the budget, changes to election laws and education reform.

Cotham didn’t respond to Axios’ request for comment, so it’s not clear what’s driving her consideration to switch.

One possible factor, though, is that Cotham recently skipped a vote to override Cooper’s veto of Republican-sponsored legislation relaxing some gun laws, handing Republicans the votes they needed to usher the bill into law.

That set into motion a cascade of blowback against Cotham, driven by Democrats criticizing her for not showing.

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Rep. Cecil Brockman, who is also a moderate Democrat, told the News & Observer he doesn’t blame Cotham and said he thought the reaction from Democrats drove her to switch parties.

“I think she just wanted to do what’s best for her district and when you’re constantly talked about and trashed — especially the way that we have been over the past few weeks — I think this is what happens,” Brockman said.

So what do you think?

Do you think Cotham was dishonest?

Was she trying to game the system?

Or do you think she was pushed away by the radicalism of the Democrat party?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!