State Rep. Carla Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg) starts the legislative session this month as a lame duck who is ticked off at Gov. Josh Stein for endorsing one of her primary opponents.
In an interview on Breaking with Brett Jensen on WBT last week, Cunningham said she felt confident last year going into the primary race as a seven-term incumbent, but Stein’s endorsement of the Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler was decisive.
“It changed the dynamics for me,” she told Jensen. “That’s when I realized I was in trouble.”
Cunningham said she knew two weeks before the primary that she was going to lose. She fell to Sadler by more than 48 percentage points.
Sadler also won the endorsement of local and state organizations, including the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, the NC Association of Educators, labor and environmental groups.
Cunningham angered a lot of Democrats when she voted to override Stein’s veto of a bill outlining how sheriffs must cooperate with ICE. Before she voted, Cunningham gave a controversial speech saying immigrants must assimilate. “All cultures are not equal,” she said.
She was the only Democrat in either chamber to vote for the override, and without her vote, the House override effort would have fallen short.
Veteran Democrat Carla Cunningham suffers huge loss in Charlotte primary
Cunningham is the House Democrat who has voted most often with the Republican majority this session.
“It’s not beneficial for me to line up behind a party agenda,” Cunningham told Jensen. “What’s beneficial to my constituents is that I serve them and prioritize what they’re needs are.”
Cunningham’s votes could be crucial in the short session with important bills up for final votes.
In the interview, Cunningham said that Stein’s endorsement of Sadler was a power play.
“Josh Stein’s endorsement of my opponent was never about immigration,” she said. “It’s about power. It’s about telling us, if you don’t do what we tell you to do, we’re going to put you off the plantation. And I’m not on it. I’m free. And I’m glad that I stood where I stood. I’m not changing where I am. Because I don’t have to. I can be authentic. I can be who I am. “
Stein’s office did not respond to emails or a text message Monday seeking comment.
Jensen asked Cunningham if she was going to “go scorched earth” on the Democrats who turned their backs on her.
“There are a lot of people who are worried about you right now,” he said.
“Let them be worried,” Cunningham replied.” When I make the decisions on my vote, I’m going to do my research.
“I’m going to look at what’s good and I’m going to look at what’s bad and I’m going to weigh it. And then that’s how I determine how I vote. They’ll know when I know.”
As a Democrat with Republicans in charge, it’s important to know how to negotiate, she said.
“I’m transactional,” she said. “It’s business. It’s government doing business.”
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