As the Short Legislative Session Begins, Two North Carolina Representatives Leave Democrat Party
Last Friday, Brett Jenson of WBT News broke the story that North Carolina Representative Carolina Carla Cunningham of Mecklenburg County changed her voter registration to unaffiliated. Today, Andy Weber broke the news that North Carolina Representative Nasif Majeed of Mecklenburg County was also leaving the Democrat party.
In his statement, Majeed said, “After deep reflections and conversations with constituents across District 99, I have made the decision to disaffiliate from the Democratic Party and serve an Independent. This decision is rooted in my responsibility to represent people—not party agendas— and to remain grounded in integrity, fairness, and truth.”
Both of these Mecklenburg-area representatives were key swing votes, often siding with Republicans on some controversial issues. In response, they were targeted by the North Carolina Democrat Party and lost their primary elections.
In response to the news, Republican House Speaker Destin Hall said, "Today’s Democratic Party has no room for those who don’t toe the line of the far left’s agenda. I applaud my colleagues, Rep. Cunningham and Rep. Majeed, for putting their constituents first. Like so many other North Carolinians, they have chosen to move on from a Democratic Party that has left them behind. Both of these members have led with integrity, refusing to let political pressure dictate their convictions or undermine the interests of the people they were elected to serve, and North Carolina is better for it."
And Minority Leader Robert Reives said, “During their years in public office Representatives Majeed and Cunningham have voted on bills according to their values and I expect they will continue to do so. I value their friendship and look forward to continuing to serve with them.”
Political Parties React:
As news broke about Cunningham’s decision to leave the Democrat Party, North Carolina Democrat Party Chairwoman Anderson Clayton posted on X “Don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya, as they say!”
In contrast, the Chairman of the Republican Party of North Carolina said, “Rep. Cunningham's departure confirms what hundreds of thousands of former Democrats have seen: this is a party doesn't care about them, doesn't work for them, and doesn't share their values”
The high-profile defections place a spotlight on Chairwoman Clayton’s leadership of the North Carolina Democrat Party. She ousted Cooper’s preferred State Chair, Representative Bobbie Richardson, who was a trailblazing African American state legislator.
Here are some of the high-profile problems for Democrats that Anderson has presided over and possibly contributed to.
For the first time in North Carolina history, Republicans out number Democrats in voter registration.
Several high-profile Democrats have publicly defected from the Party, including three state reps, the New Hanover County Sheriff, three Robeson County Commissioners, and the Former 6th District Democrat Party Chair Sabrina Berry.
Additionally, earlier this month, several North Carolina Senators who are Democrats raised concerns about one of Clayton’s top lieutenants filling a vacancy in the General Assembly over alleged cocaine use at State Party events.
In 2025, the Huffington Post reported that the State Party, under Clayton’s leadership, tried to silence an employee who filed a sexual harassment complaint.
In 2012, North Carolina Democrats faced a similarly situation with a State Party rocked by scandal. As the Daily Caller reports, North Carolina Democrat Party executive director jay Parmley resigned in “wake of allegations that he sexually harassed one of his former communications staffers.” At the time, internal communications between Democrats revealed that they were deeply concerns about their credibility if it was “leaked to the media.” Notably, when The Blue Ridge Times asked former Governor Roy Cooper for Senate Campaign was asked if Cooper still had “confidence” in Clayton’s leadership, the campaign declined to comment.
Tim’s Take: North Carolina is likely to be the most highly contested battleground state in the 2026 midterm election, a dysfunctional state party may sabotage Cooper’s Senate bid. But for Republicans, Clayton’s leadership has proved helpful in maintaining a functional Republican supermajority in the North Carolina House.
