Overview
- Nasif Majeed said Monday he left the Democratic Party to serve as an independent, following Friday’s move by Carla Cunningham, and both will serve out their terms through 2026.
- Both incumbents lost March Democratic primaries by wide margins, with Majeed falling to Veleria Levy about 68% to 26% and Cunningham losing to Rodney Sadler about 70% to 22%.
- Each faced intraparty backlash for crossing the aisle, including votes with Republicans to override vetoes on an energy pricing bill, an immigration enforcement measure, and a bill on sex definitions and minors.
- The North Carolina House now has 71 Republicans, 47 Democrats, and two independents, which could enable routine veto overrides if both independents vote with the GOP and all Republicans are present.
- The departures echo Rep. Tricia Cotham’s 2023 switch and track with a statewide rise in unaffiliated voter registrations reported since 2025.