The Republican Party has gained “veto-proof” control in both chambers of the North Carolina state legislature following a significant move by a Democratic representative, The Associated Press reports (AP).
Tricia Cotham, a former teacher and assistant principal from Mecklenburg County, announced on Wednesday that she was switching to the Republican Party.
With her move, Republicans now have the 72 seats required to hold a veto-proof majority in the 120-seat House, while they already held 30 of the 50 Senate seats needed to override vetoes.
Cotham’s move is expected to embolden the Republican Party to pursue their hardline conservative policies on various issues such as gun rights, immigration, voting, and restricting abortion further after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, AP notes.
Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, is now likely to face difficulties in preventing conservative policies from being implemented during his final two years in office.
Cotham held a news conference at North Carolina Republican Party headquarters to announce her decision.
She had already voted with Republicans on some significant issues, while the rest of the Democrats voted the other way, and criticized the Democratic Party for bullying those with dissenting opinions, stating that “I will not be controlled by anyone.”
Cotham was called a “spy” and a “traitor” by some within the Democratic Party.
She said the turning point for her was when she was criticized for using the American flag and praying-hands emoji on her social media posts and vehicles, according to AP.
House Speaker Tim Moore had appointed Cotham to co-chair the House K-12 education committee, making her one of the few Democrats holding top committee posts.
