NC House Democrat who voted with Republicans will face primary challenger
A Democrat in the state House who broke with his party on several consequential votes will face a primary challenger in 2024.
Rep. Cecil Brockman, a five-term House representative from Guilford County, will be challenged by James Adams, former president of the High Point NAACP.
In announcing his campaign Friday, Adams criticized Brockman for voting with Republicans and missing a major vote on gun legislation.
“Every vote is important,” Adams said in a statement. “As a result of his absenteeism, the goods and services that could have afforded our community were lost due to his failure to cast a favorable vote.”
In a statement, Brockman suggested that fellow Democrats wanted him out of the House and propped up Adams’ campaign.
“This person was put up to run against me by folks who do not have the best interest of High Point in mind,” he said in a statement.
He went on to describe a text from Rep. Laura Budd, seemingly sent inadvertently to Brockman, which he shared with The News & Observer, in which the Mecklenburg County Democrat wrote, “Do we have a candidate running against Brockman?”
”It looks like they found their person,” Brockman said.
Budd did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday.
Young Democrats criticize votes
Brockman, who is the only openly LGBTQ+ man in the legislature, drew the ire of some fellow party members after joining Republicans to pass the state budget, which included a variety of substantive policy changes opposed by Democrats.
Following the budget vote, the Young Democrats of North Carolina announced they would create a “Find Out Fund” to challenge Democrats who broke ranks and supported Republican legislation during the session, seemingly targeting Brockman and a handful of other House Democrats who voted for the budget.
Asked if the Young Democrats will support Adams in his bid against Brockman, a spokesperson told The N&O, “YDNC made a commitment to hold Democrats accountable to their voters through the primary process and that’s what we plan to do.”
Brockman’s support of the budget wasn’t the first time he attracted controversy.
In March, he missed a veto override vote on a bill that loosened gun restrictions.
At the time, Rep. Tricia Cotham had not yet switched parties to become a Republican, so the House GOP was one vote short of a veto-proof majority. Three Democrats missed the vote, including Cotham, and the override of Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto passed, allowing the new law to go into effect.
Brockman also joined with Republicans to pass a bill increasing the penalties for rioting in February, and he was one of three Democrats to vote in favor of a bill requiring sheriffs to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
After Cotham switched parties, Brockman said he didn’t blame her “one bit.”
“I think she just wanted to do what’s best for her district and when you’re constantly talked about and trashed — especially the way that we have been over the past few weeks — I think this is what happens,” he told The N&O in April.
He isn’t the only moderate Democrat facing a primary challenger.
Three other House Democrats who joined Republicans to pass the budget, Reps. Carla Cunningham, Michael Wray and Shelly Willingham, will have to defend their seats in March against a fellow Democrat in the primary.
