North Carolina Democrat switches parties

"If you don't do exactly what the Democrats want you to do, they will try to bully you"

Democratic representative Tricia Cotham, who represents the deep-blue seat of Charlotte, N.C., crossed the political aisle and joined state Republicans on Tuesday, handing the party a crucial supermajority. Representative Cotham was only in the post for five months before she decided to switch political allegiances, giving Republicans the power to override Democratic governor Roy Cooper’s vetoes and new powers to shape the legislative agenda. Cotham’s move strengthens Republicans in the House, giving them a supermajority to match their dominance of the Senate [National Review].

Democrats will "villainize anyone who has free thought, free judgement, has solutions," says North Carolina State Rep Tricia Cotham after switching parties. "If you don’t do exactly what the Democrats want you to do, they will try to bully you. They will try to cast you aside" [RNC Research:  Twitter].