Two NC Lawmakers Exit Democrats to Become Independents After Primary Losses

Two Mecklenburg County state representatives, Carla Cunningham and Nasif Majeed, announced they are leaving the Democratic Party to become unaffiliated after losing Democratic primary challenges to candidates who criticized their occasional votes with Republicans on vetoes. Cunningham cited hostility toward her and a desire to serve constituents rather than adhere to party politics; Majeed echoed a similar sentiment and said he would work with both parties. Their departures come as Republicans hold a supermajority and as a recent trend of Mecklenburg Democrats leaving the party continues, including a 2023 switch by Tricia Cotham.