Tricia Cotham
Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
from the 112th district
Assumed office
January 1, 2023
Preceded byDavid Rogers
Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
from the 100th district
In office
March 22, 2007 – January 1, 2017
Preceded byJim Black
Succeeded byJohn Autry
Personal details
Born
Patricia Ann Cotham

(1978-11-26) November 26, 1978
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic (before 2023)
Republican (since 2023)
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2008, divorced)​
Children2
RelativesPat Cotham (mother)
EducationUniversity of North Carolina, Charlotte (BA)
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (MPA)

Patricia Ann Cotham (born November 26, 1978) is an American politician, lobbyist and former schoolteacher. She is a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from the 112th district, based in Mecklenburg County.

Cotham represented the 100th district in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 2007 to 2017 as a Democrat. She was elected as a Democrat in 2022 to represent District 112. Cotham formally changed her affiliation to the Republican Party on April 5, 2023, granting the North Carolina House Republicans a supermajority. Prior to her party switch, Cotham had campaigned on a traditional Democratic Party platform and had voted for abortion rights legislation. Shortly after her party switch, Cotham cast the deciding vote for legislation to restrict abortion access in North Carolina.

Career

In March 2007, Cotham was appointed to represent the 100th district in the North Carolina House of Representatives to replace Rep. James B. Black, who had resigned.[1] She was elected to the House in 2008, and was re-elected in 2010, 2012, and 2014. Cotham was co-chair of the House's K-12 Education subcommittee from 2008–2010.

Cotham is a "former CMS Teacher of the Year and assistant principal of East Mecklenburg and Independence high schools".[2]

In 2015, Cotham gave a speech on the House floor explaining that she had had an abortion, saying, "This decision was up to me, my husband, my doctor and my God. It was not up to any of you in this chamber."[3]

Cotham chose not to run for re-election in 2016.[4] She later said she would consider running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the newly redrawn 12th congressional district.[5] Cotham filed to run for the U.S. House seat on March 21, 2016, but lost the Democratic primary to incumbent Congresswoman Alma Adams.[6]

In 2019, Cotham and three partners founded the lobbying firm BCHL.[7]

In 2022, Cotham sought to return to the North Carolina House of Representatives. Some Republican political leaders in North Carolina encouraged her to run for office as a Democrat.[7] This time, she ran for the House in the 112th district, defeating Republican Tony Long, 59.2%-40.8%.[8] Cotham ran on a platform of raising the minimum wage, protecting voting rights and supporting LGBTQ rights.[9]

In early 2023, Cotham voted to codify the abortion-related Roe v. Wade decision into state law.[10]

On April 4, 2023, WRAL-TV reported that Cotham had changed her party registration from Democratic to Republican.[11] On April 5, 2023, Cotham announced that she had left the Democratic Party and joined the Republican Party. Cotham's move gave House Republicans a veto-proof majority that allowed them to pass legislation without negotiating with North Carolina's Democratic governor, Roy Cooper. Cotham stated that fellow Democrats had criticized her on Twitter, called her names, and had been "coming after [her] family, coming after [her] children". She also said the turning point was a situation in which she was hounded for using the American flag on social media and on her vehicles.[12] In another interview, she said "she felt bullied by Democrats and wanted to switch to a party that felt more welcoming".[13]

In May 2023, Cotham voted in favor of a ban on abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy.[14][10] Cotham's deciding vote[15] enabled Republicans to override Gov. Cooper's veto and enact the legislation.[16][17] North Carolina Rep. Wesley Harris accused Cotham of having lied to the voters, Alexis McGill Johnson of Planned Parenthood admonished Cotham, and former aides spoke out against her "abortion betrayal".[18]

Personal life and family

Cotham's mother, Pat Cotham, was elected to the Democratic National Committee in 2010.[19] As of 2023, Pat Cotham is a member of the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners, having been first elected in 2012.[20]

Tricia Cotham was married to state Democratic Party chair Jerry Meek in late 2008.[21] The two have since divorced.[22]

Cotham has two sons.[23] She is a Christian.[24]

Electoral history

2022

North Carolina House of Representatives 112th district Democratic primary election, 2022[25]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tricia Cotham 2,385 47.81%
Democratic Yolanda Holmes 1,559 31.25%
Democratic Jay Holman 853 17.10%
Democratic Rodney Moore 192 3.85%
Total votes 4,989 100%
North Carolina House of Representatives 112th district general election, 2022[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tricia Cotham 15,389 59.22%
Republican Tony Long 10,597 40.78%
Total votes 25,986 100%
Democratic win (new seat)

2016

North Carolina's 12th congressional district Democratic primary election, 2016[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Alma Adams (incumbent) 12,400 42.51%
Democratic Malcolm Graham 8,428 28.89%
Democratic Tricia Cotham 6,165 21.13%
Democratic Carla Cunningham 1,255 4.30%
Democratic Gardenia Henley 444 1.52%
Democratic Rodney Moore 245 0.84%
Democratic Rick Miller 235 0.81%
Total votes 29,172 100%

2014

North Carolina House of Representatives 100th district general election, 2014[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tricia Cotham (incumbent) 12,707 100%
Total votes 12,707 100%
Democratic hold

2012

North Carolina House of Representatives 100th district general election, 2012[29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tricia Cotham (incumbent) 24,217 100%
Total votes 24,217 100%
Democratic hold

2010

North Carolina House of Representatives 100th district general election, 2010[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tricia Cotham (incumbent) 9,578 100%
Total votes 9,578 100%
Democratic hold

2008

North Carolina House of Representatives 100th district Democratic primary election, 2008[31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tricia Cotham (incumbent) 7,685 78.83%
Democratic Lloyd Scher 2,064 21.17%
Total votes 9,749 100%
North Carolina House of Representatives 100th district general election, 2008[32]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tricia Cotham (incumbent) 19,548 74.07%
Republican Tom White 6,843 25.93%
Total votes 26,391 100%
Democratic hold

References

  1. ↑ "Primary in House race down to rematch". NCNewsline.com. April 28, 2008.
  2. ↑ Peralta Soloff, Katie; Chemtob, Danielle (April 4, 2023). "Tricia Cotham, a Charlotte Democrat switching parties, is a former educator from a family of politicians". Axios.
  3. ↑ "NC House approves three-day abortion waiting period". WRAL. April 23, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  4. ↑ Morrill, Jim (October 3, 2015). "Rep. Tricia Cotham won't run for re-election". Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on January 12, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Malcolm Graham files paperwork in Congressional District 12 race". WSOC. March 17, 2016. Archived from the original on February 23, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  6. ↑ "NC State Board of Elections". Archived from the original on March 21, 2016.
  7. 1 2 Kelly, Kate; Perlmutt, David (July 30, 2023). "Inside the Party Switch that Blew Up North Carolina Politics". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  8. ↑ "North Carolina State House - District 112 Election Results | The Indianapolis Star". www.indystar.com.
  9. ↑ Rosenzweig-Ziff, Dan (April 4, 2023). "N.C. lawmaker flips parties, handing state GOP a veto-proof majority". Washington Post.
  10. 1 2 Wolf, Zachary B. (May 15, 2023). "One vote to redraw the US abortion rights map". CNN.
  11. ↑ Doran, Will; Specht, Paul; Leslie, Laura (April 4, 2023). "Democrat Cotham defects, giving GOP veto-proof majority in NC House". WRAL-TV. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  12. ↑ Kliegman, Aaron (April 5, 2023). "North Carolina lawmaker officially leaves Dems for GOP, says turning point was American flag criticism". Fox News. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  13. ↑ Corasaniti, Nick; Vigdor, Neil (April 5, 2023). "Democrat's U-Turn to Join the G.O.P. Upends North Carolina Politics". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  14. ↑ Bergeron, Josh (May 3, 2023). "Wavering Democrat sticks with party on abortion vote; Cotham votes with rest of GOP". The News & Observer. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  15. ↑ Kitchener, Caroline; Roubein, Rachel (2023). "North Carolina bans abortion past 12 weeks, overriding governor veto". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286.
  16. ↑ "How one North Carolina lawmaker's defection from the Democratic Party upended abortion protections". AP NEWS. May 19, 2023.
  17. ↑ "With abortion vote, did Tricia Cotham flip-flop on protecting reproductive rights?". WRAL.com. May 17, 2023.
  18. ↑ ""Shame": Protests and outrage as former Democrat paves the way for North Carolina abortion ban". Salon. May 17, 2023.
  19. ↑ Stancill, Jane (August 2, 2010). "Cotham wins spot on Democratic National Committee". News & Observer. Archived from the original on April 1, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Pat Cotham, At Large". BOCC.MeckNC.gov. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Democratic party head in N.C. will step down". November 21, 2008. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Republicans gain veto-proof control in North Carolina after Democrat switches parties". CBS News. April 5, 2023. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  23. ↑ "NC House member from Mecklenburg gives birth to 2nd child". WSOC TV. September 30, 2013.
  24. ↑ Creitz, Charles (April 5, 2023). "Charlotte Democrat switched parties after being called 'ammosexual,' critiqued for invoking Jesus Christ". WDBD FOX 40. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  25. ↑ 2022 North Carolina House Primary Election Results Archived 2022-09-20 at the Wayback Machine North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  26. ↑ 2022 North Carolina House General Election Results North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  27. ↑ 2016 U.S. House Primary Election Results Archived 2022-10-05 at the Wayback Machine North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  28. ↑ 2014 North Carolina House General Election Results Archived 2022-10-06 at the Wayback Machine North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  29. ↑ 2012 North Carolina House General Election Results Archived 2022-10-05 at the Wayback Machine North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  30. ↑ 2010 North Carolina House General Election Results Archived 2022-10-01 at the Wayback Machine North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  31. ↑ 2008 North Carolina House Primary Election Results Archived 2022-10-06 at the Wayback Machine North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  32. ↑ 2008 North Carolina House General Election Results Archived 2023-04-05 at the Wayback Machine North Carolina State Board of Elections.
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