Democrat Sidman wants to unseat incumbent Cotham, who switched parties and gave Republicans a super majority. Credit: Social media/publicity composite
Tricia Cotham made headlines in 2023 when she announced she was switching her political party affiliation from Democratic to Republican, giving the North Carolina GOP a super majority in the state House and Senate.
Her sudden political shift left voters in her district shocked, and those within her own party called for her resignation and accused Cotham of betraying her constituents. Organizations who had previously supported Cotham – including Equality NC and Planned Parenthood – rescinded their endorsements.
Equality NC’s statement on the issue read:
“To be clear, Equality North Carolina is not revoking this endorsement because Cotham switched her party affiliation, but because she materially misled our organization and the voters who put her in office and has now voted on numerous issues in ways that run counter to the positions she took in her endorsement application and endorsement interview.”
Cotham’s party switch made it possible for North Carolina Republicans to pass three anti-LGBTQ+ bills and a 12-week abortion ban. The super majority also ensured it has been next to impossible for Democrats to uphold Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes going forward. House Republicans now control 72 of the chamber’s 120 seats — the exact number needed to override vetoes when all members are voting.
Has her day of comeuppance arrived? Perhaps.
Cotham is now facing reelection for the first time since her infamous policy stance switch. She will have to face her constituents as a Republican, and this time she has a Democratic challenger taking Cotham head on.
Meet Nicole Sidman: a lawyer, mother and social justice advocate. She is running to unseat Cotham and, in her words, bring honesty back to the district.
Who is Nicole Sidman?
Sidman was inspired at a young age by her mother who returned to school in 1975 to earn a law degree while caring for her three young children. Seeing the struggles of a working mom living with three generations in a house full of political debates, lively discussions and more than a little healthy disagreement shaped Sidman’s views, according to her official biography on her campaign website.
Sidman earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Michigan and went on to practice law, with a brief foray into high school teaching. She then stepped back from her career to spend time at home with her son Charlie and her step-daughter Sophie. During those days, she served as a board member of the P.S. 40 PTA, where Charlie attended elementary school. She also served as PTA President for a two-year term.
Later, Sidman volunteered as an attorney for the New York Civil Liberties Union and was co-founder of the Social Justice Committee at East End Temple in New York.
Sidman, along with her husband Eric (of 18 years), returned to his home state of North Carolina in 2017, moving to Charlotte with Charlie and their rescue dog Roxy. Shortly after moving, Sidman served as campaign manager for Christy Clark’s successful bid as state representative for House Dist. 98. Sidman has worked at Temple Beth El since 2021, starting in the role as the part-time Social Justice Outreach Coordinator and currently serving as the Director of Congregational Life.
That isn’t the only way Sidman has become involved in her new community – whether it is working with Carolina Refugee Resettlement Agency, to help set up apartments for incoming families who were making Charlotte their home, or packing boxes at Second Harvest during COVID-19.
Sidman’s platform
Sidman won the March Democratic Primary with 57 percent of the vote by focusing on the issues most important to voters, not on the actions of the incumbent.
“I can’t focus on Tricia Cotham. I have to focus on what people in House District 105 care about,” Sidman told Queen City News after her primary victory. “That is access to reproductive rights, good schools that are funded, stopping this constant restructuring of the maps so that nobody knows who their representative is. That’s what I need to focus on, and everyone else can focus on what they want to focus on.”
Sidman answered Ballotpedia’s annual candidate questionnaire for the 2024 election, where she highlighted three key public policy issues she wants to address: democracy, reproductive freedom and securing more funds for North Carolina Public Schools.
“Whether it’s gerrymandering, reducing early voting, or changing the rules on who administers elections, restrictions on voter access hurts democracy,” Sidman said. “Voters are supposed to choose their legislators, not the other way around. I will support a non-partisan redistricting commission and fight for access to the ballot for all eligible voters.
“Democracy is the best form of government because it requires our leaders to answer to the people they govern.”
Reproductive rights is another important issue for Sidman’s campaign. Cotham voted to enforce a ban on Roe and Casey protections in North Carolina she had voted to codify in the same year. Sidman says it’s important to have a true fighter for reproductive rights in the state House.
“SB 20 was devastating for women’s health and bodily autonomy,” Sidman stated. “Women deserve the right to make informed decisions about what is best for their bodies, their health and their families without government interference.”
North Carolina public schools have also continued to be targeted by legislation from Republicans. Some proposed legislation includes taking funding from the public schools’ budget and putting it toward private school vouchers, a decision many Democrats have called a move to defund the public education system.
“Our schools have been underfunded, underserved, and disrespected by our legislature for too long,” Sidman says. “Our state constitution guarantees the children of North Carolina the right to a public education. It’s long past time we adequately fund our schools, pay our teachers what they deserve, and make North Carolina a leader in education again.”
The road forward for House District 105
Cotham used to be associated with progressive politics in North Carolina. In 2023 before switching parties, Cotham introduced HB19, which was designed to codify Roe and Casey protections. On February 6, she introduced HB42 to honor North Carolina’s contributions to the Civil Rights movement. On March 7, she offered her support for HB 302, the NC Adopt ERA bill, which was more or less a symbolic ratification and affirmation of the Equal Rights Amendment to the US Constitution as supported by the state of North Carolina. She voted to confirm HB 355, the Ensure Same-Sex Domestic Violence Protection Order, and she introduced HB 76, which provides access to expanded health care options.
She was a clear supporter of progressive government, walking in the footsteps of her mother, Pat Cotham, a Democratic Mecklenburg County Commissioner. Until she wasn’t. Her reasoning for such a radical turnaround?
Hurt feelings.
According to a report from the website The Assembly, Cotham said she was bullied, slandered, and ostracized by fellow Democrats, but no one in the Democratic party could corroborate Cotham’s claims. Internet chatter on social media has suggested Cotham’s turnabout behavior and seemingly altered perception skills could be the result of her battle with long COVID syndrome, while others have said a rumored relationship with Republican House Speaker Tim Moore may have led to the political flip-flop.
This November, voters have the chance to hold Cotham accountable for switching on her constituents. The question is, what will that accountability look like: will Cotham keep her seat, or will Sidman unseat the incumbent and return a sense of balance back to North Carolina Democracy?
Additional content for this article was provided by David Aaron Moore.
