Why embattled Rep. Cunningham’s campaign says party backlash won’t work in primary
A longtime Charlotte-area legislator faces her toughest reelection fight yet after coming under fire for a controversial vote and inflammatory comments about immigrants.
But it may not be enough to end her tenure in Raleigh.
Democratic state Rep. Carla Cunningham, in her seventh term representing north Charlotte’s state House District 106, drew ire over the summer when she broke party ranks to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of a bill requiring sheriffs to more closely cooperate with federal immigration officials. She faced widespread criticism from fellow Democrats over comments in a floor speech following that vote, in which she said the U.S. has been “exploited and abused by the different tactics to gain citizenship in America.”
Cunningham then picked up a pair of primary challengers in her 2026 reelection bid. She’s also lost out on potentially influential endorsements.
It still won’t be easy for a challenger to oust such a longstanding incumbent in the March 3 primary, local political experts say, especially in a three-person race.
Cunningham has focused much of her reelection campaign on her legislative record on issues other than immigration. Her highest-profile opponent, Rev. Rodney Sadler, is touting significant endorsements and efforts to increase his name recognition.
Cunningham focuses on record
Questioned about her immigration vote and comments at an August town hall, Cunningham said she “wouldn’t change a thing,” WFAE reported at the time.
She’s since shifted her stance.
In statements after U.S. Border Patrol’s November operation in Charlotte led to hundreds of arrests and protests, Cunningham said her immigration votes were about public safety and that she doesn’t “support any practices that intimidate law-abiding immigrant families.”
She then apologized for her summer comments in a video posted to her campaign website in early January — after the candidate filing period for 2026 races ended. Cunningham said in the video that “in the days and the hours leading up to” her speech, she “received several threats from elected officials and community leaders.”
“In this state, I said things that offended members of the community, and I take full accountability for my words and my actions. And I sincerely apologize,” she said. Cunningham does not say in the video she would change her vote on the ICE bills.
She joined a group of former sheriff’s office employees in a January petition to remove Sheriff Garry McFadden from office, alleging in the complaint he threatened her in the lead-up to the immigration veto vote. That petition was dismissed but could be revived following a state investigation.
Cunningham was also part of a group of candidates that had their access to the voter contact software VoteBuilder revoked by the North Carolina Democratic Party, The Assembly reported. The state party did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the Assembly report, and Cunningham’s campaign previously declined to comment on the report.
Cunningham’s campaign has focused on her record on other issues. She’s posted videos to social media highlighting funding she’s secured for local projects and organizations and promotes her committee appointments in the legislature.
Marjorie Fields Harris, a consultant for Cunningham, told The Charlotte Observer the campaign is focused on “putting the facts out there” and reminding voters of Cunningham’s history on topics such as health care, mental health and school lunch debt.
“She received criticism for working across the aisle, but that’s been the only way she’s been able to accomplish so much,” Fields Harris said.
UNC Charlotte political scientist Eric Heberlig said the strategy allows Cunningham “to emphasize the advantage of incumbency” to voters.
“You risk that by going to an unknown quantity,” he said.
How much voters value “the fact that she has got things done for the district” will be a key factor in the race, veteran Democratic campaign manager Dan McCorkle predicted.
Challenger touts endorsements, ground game
Sadler, known for his work in the Moral Monday movement, told the Observer running for office for the first time “was not the way I saw this portion of my life going.”
“But I was asked by enough people to run, and I saw that we were in a desperate state right now in District 106,” he said. “And if we want to change, then we have to be willing to be those agents of change.”
His campaign has gotten momentum from a pair of high-profile endorsements, Gov. Josh Stein and the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
McCorkle noted it’s rare for a sitting governor to weigh in on a primary fight in his own party. Stein’s endorsement and the BPC’s support will likely influence some voters, particularly in a primary dominated by dyed-in-the-wool Democrats, he said.
As a first-time candidate, Sadler said he’s also put an emphasis on improving his own name recognition during the campaign, including participating in candidate forums, hosting meet-and-greet events and sending out mailers in the district.
“I introduce myself to as many people as I can, whether it’s one-on-one or whether it’s in a group of voters,” he said.
Getting on voters’ radar and appearing to be a legitimate contender is vital for anyone trying to beat an incumbent, Heberlig said.
“One challenge for primary challengers is to do anything to get attention, to get people to take them seriously,” he said.
The third candidate in the District 106 Democratic primary, Vermanno Bowman, did not respond to an interview request for this story. Bowman ran unsuccessfully against Cunningham in 2024, and he served on the State Executive Committee of the North Carolina Democratic Party.
He said in his Observer candidate questionnaire affordable housing is the most important issue in the district, pledging to “fight to expand the supply of truly affordable housing, strengthen tenant protections, support first-time homebuyers and ensure state resources are used to keep housing stable, safe and accessible for working families” if elected.
Can someone oust Cunningham?
Both Sadler’s and Cunningham’s campaigns expressed optimism about their chances on Election Day.
Fields Harris said Cunningham is getting positive feedback from voters on the campaign trail.
“I don’t know if the party calculated the way some of these things would be taken, especially in her district,” Fields Harris said of the Democratic Party’s reaction to Cunningham’s controversy. “People thought they were slighting her, but they were really slighting the people of District 106.”
Sadler says his campaign’s “game plan” for the final stretch of the campaign is “to meet as many people as possible.”
McCorkle said winning the primary will take investment in advertising as well as social media and in-person connections in order to reach an impactful number of voters.
“How widely are they advertising their message of change?” he asked. “Hopefully you’re not relying on people’s memories or what people have seen in the media.”
The fact that it will likely be a low-turnout election may also impact the results, McCorkle said, by narrowing the pool of people who actually participate. Turnout is frequently less than a quarter of registered voters in Mecklenburg primaries.
“85% of the people are not going to be voting,” McCorkle predicted.
Heberlig noted “the dynamics of a three-person race are much different than a two-person race.”
“That has the potential for the anti-incumbent vote to split and allow the incumbent, even one that’s hemorrhaged a lot of support, to sneak past without a majority, just because their opponents don’t coalesce around a single alternative,” he said.
Whoever wins the District 106 primary is guaranteed the seat as no Republican, unaffiliated or third-party candidates filed to run in the race.
Other competitive legislative primaries
Incumbent Democratic state Rep. Nasif Majeed also faces two primary challengers after voting with Republicans on a veto override of a controversial bill regarding sexuality, religion in schools and school libraries.
Veleria Levy — who has worked in health care, run for office in Rowan County and served in local and state Democratic leadership roles — and college student Tucker Neal filed to run against him in the University City area’s state House District 99. Neal has since endorsed Levy, Observer news partner WSOC-TV reported.
A pair of Democrats, Raygan J. Angel and Precinda Bjorgen, are running in a primary to see who will run against incumbent Republican Vickie Sawyer in state Senate District 37. The district, which heavily favors Republicans, includes some of northern Mecklenburg and much of Iredell County.
Mecklenburg’s only Republican legislative primary is in southeast Mecklenburg’s state House District 105.
Incumbent Tricia Cotham, who narrowly won reelection in 2024 after her high-profile political party switch, faces a challenge from teacher Kelly VanHorn. VanHorn herself only recently switched her party affiliation to Republican to run in the GOP primary. She previously told the Observer she was running as a Republican “to give people a choice.”
The winner of the District 105 primary will face Democrat Ken McCool, a former Matthews town commissioner, in the November general election.
This story was originally published February 12, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Why embattled Rep. Cunningham’s campaign says party backlash won’t work in primary."
