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Ever since the North Carolina General Assembly gaveled back into session a few weeks ago, Democratic lawmakers have not been too pleased with one of their own - Rep. Carla Cunningham (D-106-Mecklenburg).
Especially after she gave an impassioned floor speech recently in support of overriding Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of Republican-sponsored House Bill 318 that expanded N.C. sheriffs’ role in complying with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in detaining illegal immigrants.
In a nutshell, Rep. Cunningham said she was an American who did not want to help other people in their plight coming to this country because, in her opinion, they refuse to assimilate.
“All cultures are not equal,” Cunningham opined. “Some immigrants come and believe they can function in isolation, refusing to adapt. They have come to our country for many reasons, but I suggest they must assimilate, adapt to the culture of the country they wish to live in,” Cunningham added. “If you ask me to line up behind another group of people to raise awareness about their plight, I unapologetically say no.”
“We have been naive,” Cunningham continued to say on the House floor. “We have been exploited and abused by the different tactics to gain citizenship in America. It’s time to wake up…it’s time to turn the conveyor belt off and adopt a global migration suitable for the times that we’re in.”
Commentator Rob Schofield lambasted Cunningham, saying “…she accused immigrants of exploiting and abusing native born Americans and implied that immigrant cultures are inferior.”
Gov. Stein originally vetoed HB 318 because, he said, it required “sheriffs to unconstitutionally detain people for up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released.”
Rep. Cunningham’s vote was the one Democratic vote needed to override Gov. Stein’s veto, and she’s been roundly criticized for it by her Democratic colleagues. But she also voted to override four other vetoes.
But she isn’t the only one.
At least three other Black Democratic state lawmakers - Rep. Cecil Brockman (Guilford), Rep. Shelly Willingham (Bertie, Edgecombe, Martin), and Rep. Nasif Majeed (Mecklenburg) - also cast override votes with the Republican House majority, successfully overriding eight of Stein’s vetoes, drawing the ire of fellow Democrats as well.
“The bills that they overrode made us less safe, and that is on them,” said Senate Minority Leader Sydney Batch, “… and if they want to put their head on the pillow tonight and say that that’s what they decided to do for whatever reason they voted for that, that is literally a consequence they’ll have to deal with if they get a primary,”
North Carolina Democratic Party Chairperson Anderson Clayton expressed displeasure with the four Democratic House members who voted contrary to the party’s principles.
“I don’t think it’s representative of the future of the Democratic Party, quite frankly, in North Carolina,” Clayton said.
While the state party chair would not come right out and publicly advocate for Cunningham, Willingham, Majeed and Brockman to be challenged for their seats when the 2026 primaries come around next March, probably because the last thing she’d want is for any of them to threaten to join the Republican Party as former Democratic Rep. Tricia Cotham (Mecklenburg) did several years ago, there’s little question that the state Democratic Party isn’t going to sit back and swallow what it sees as disloyalty.
“Representatives are elected by their districts, and we have to make sure we’re educating their districts on how they’re voting, whether that be Republicans or Democrats, because we want people that are going to stand up for the values that this party stands for,” NCDP Chair Clayton said.
Republicans say they see nothing wrong with some Democrats siding with them and voting their conscience. Republicans add that there will be more attempts to override Gov. Stein’s vetoes.
