GOP state House Speaker Tim Moore and state House Majority Leader John Bell encouraged Cotham to rejoin the legislature, per The New York Times.

  • Two of North Carolina’s top GOP leaders encouraged Tricia Cotham to run for office last year, per The Times.

  • Cotham, from a family with deep Democratic roots, flipped to the GOP three months into her new term.

  • She has since voted with Republicans to override key vetoes made by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.