Two North Carolina legislators are leaving the Democratic Party to become unaffiliated after facing scrutiny for not sufficiently supporting the party’s agenda.
State Reps. Carla Cunningham and Nasif Majeed, both of Mecklenburg County, announced in recent days that they are leaving the Democratic Party. Cunningham has served in the state House of Representatives for about 14 years and Majeed has served for eight years.
Their moves come about a month after losing primary elections to Democratic challengers who attacked Cunningham and Majeed for occasionally voting with Republicans to override vetoes by Democratic Gov. Josh Stein and, before him, by former Gov. Roy Cooper. Cunningham lost to Charlotte pastor Rodney Sadler in the Democratic primary. Majeed lost to Veleria Levy, a consultant with a public health background. Both challengers won with about 69% of the vote.
In a statement on Friday, Cunningham said she was leaving the Democratic Party after facing “a troubling wave of hostility from individuals outside of District 106, fueled by the actions of the NC Governor and the North Carolina Democratic Party.” Stein endorsed Sadler in the primary.
“I have been a Democrat all my life, but I came to realize that I want to serve the people; not a party. Being an independent thinker does not align with party politics, and I will never compromise the needs of my constituents to satisfy a political agenda,” Cunningham said.
Majeed issued a similar statement Monday, alleging that his political opponents misled voters about his record. “I have witnessed and experienced actions within the political landscape that I believe could be perceived as misleading or inconsistent with the spirit of fair elections. I cannot, in good conscience, remain aligned where those concerns are not adequately addressed,” he said.
Neither Stein nor the North Carolina Democratic Party responded to a request for comment.
House Minority Leader Robert Reives, D-Chatham, issued a statement Monday saying Cunningham and Majeed over the years voted “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.”
House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, praised Cunningham and Majeed for “putting their constituents first.” He added: “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.”
Last year, Cunningham and Majeed voted to override Stein’s veto of a major energy bill and allow changes to the way power is priced in North Carolina. Majeed also sometimes aligned with Republicans on social issues, while Cunningham broke with Democrats on immigration.
Republicans hold a supermajority in the state Senate and are one seat shy of a supermajority in the House. If Cunningham and Majeed vote with Republicans in party-line votes — and there are no Republicans absent — the GOP will be able to regularly override Stein’s vetoes.
Cunningham said in her statement that she is committed “to ensuring that the urgent needs of hardworking, struggling Americans are elevated above all else.”
“We have a moral obligation to place the needs of struggling Americans above all competing agendas; including policies that would extend the resources and protections of this government to those who have entered this country unlawfully, at the expense of citizens who have long been underserved,” she said.
Majeed said in his statement that he plans to work collaboratively with both parties.
“My focus remains unchanged—delivering results for working families, supporting economic opportunity, addressing public safety, and expanding access to affordable housing,” he said.
Cunningham and Majeed are the third Mecklenburg County Democrats to leave the party in three recent years. In 2023, state Rep. Tricia Cotham left the Democratic Party and joined the Republican Party — helping the GOP enact new restrictions on abortion, and more. Cotham said at the time that she faced pushback from Democrats for not toeing the party line on bills loosening gun laws and cracking down on immigration.
