5 Things to Know: Colleagues Respond to Cunningham’s Anti-Immigrant Comments

Colleagues Respond to Cunningham’s Anti-Immigrant Comments

Fellow lawmakers and party reps are speaking out against comments made by Democratic NC Rep. Carla Cunningham on the chamber floor on Tuesday before she voted to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of House Bill 318, known as The Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act.

Cunningham was the only Democrat to vote to override the veto, though it was her comments leading up to the vote that garnered blowback from many voters and fellow party members.

Presenting her case in support of HB 318, which will require sweeping cooperation from state and local agencies with federal immigration authorities, Cunningham repeated talking points used by the Trump administration to justify mass deportations and other nationalist policies.

“As a people, it is time to recognize that it’s not just the numbers that matter, but also where the immigrants come from and the culture they bring with them to another country,” Cunningham said. “As a social scientist reported, all cultures are not equal. Some immigrants come and believe they can function in isolation, refusing to adapt. They have come to our country for many reasons, but I suggest they must assimilate. Adapt to the culture of the country they wish to live in.”

She went on to say that “naïve” Americans “have been exploited and abused by the different tactics to gain citizenship in America.”

On Wednesday, NC Sen. Caleb Theodros responded directly to Cunningham’s comments in a Substack post titled “We Built This Too,” stating that Cunningham’s insistence that “all cultures are not equal” have no place in North Carolina.

“As the son of immigrants who fled war to build a life here, I know better,” Theodros wrote. “This country’s strength has always come from the mix — the clash and blend of cultures, histories, and ideas that form something bigger than any one of us. That’s not some liberal slogan. That’s the truth of this nation’s story.”

In a statement on Tuesday, NC Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton did not directly address Cunningham’s comments, instead referring to the “few individuals” in the Democratic Party who helped overturn eight of Stein’s vetoes.

“North Carolina Democrats spent thousands of volunteers hours in 2024 to ensure that voters understood what Republicans would do with unchecked power,” Clayton stated. “We saw it in the election results. Folks came out and overcame an extreme gerrymander to give Governor Stein the power of the veto. Today, because of the choices of a few individuals, that meant nothing. This is the type of behavior that causes people to be disillusioned by the Party.”

Suspect in Andy Tench Disappearance Pleads Guilty

A man who admitted to disposing of Andrew Tench’s body after his disappearance last year pleaded guilty to multiple charges in court on Thursday, receiving a minimum sentence of 30 months in person, of which he’s already served about half.

The 31-year-old Andrew Tench, who lived in Belmont and often went by Andy, was last seen in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 24, 2024, at The Bar at 316 in Charlotte’s Dilworth neighborhood, where he celebrated his birthday. Surveillance footage outside the bar captured Tench leaving with a man he had met that night.

That man, 26-year-old D’shaun Robinson, has told police and Tench’s family that Tench died of a drug overdose on the night of his birthday. However, it’s unclear where his body ended up and therefore impossible to confirm a cause of death.

Robinson has confessed to placing Tench’s body in a dumpster after he passed away but CMPD has since halted the search for Tench’s remains, refusing to greenlight the excavation of an Anson County landfill where Tench’s loved ones believe he might be.

On Thursday, Robinson pleaded guilty to concealment of death, identity theft and second-degree burglary for using Tench’s financial cards after his death. Robinson was sentenced to 13-25 months for the burglary charge and a consecutive sentence of 17-30 months for concealment of death and identity theft.

In a post on the Find Andy Tench Facebook page, Tench’s mom Tracii Blanton voiced her disappointment with the fact that more serious charges against Robinson were dropped as part of the plea deal.

“I recommend to all criminals, go to Charlotte to do your crimes. They’ll definitely give you a slap on the wrist & a pat on the back,” she wrote.

Cooper Announces Senate Candidacy, Will Likely Face Michael Whatley

Former two-term Gov. Roy Cooper officially announced his bid for the US Senate on Monday, attempting to fill the seat that will be left open by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis in 2026.

“Right now, our country is facing a moment as fragile as any I can remember, and the decisions we make in the next election will determine if we even have a middle class in America anymore,” Cooper said.

Since the announcement, former congressman Wiley Nickel has suspended his own Democratic campaign, throwing his support behind Cooper.

On Thursday, former NC Republican Party Chair and current RNC Chair Michael Whatley announced his own campaign to fill the seat.

That day, NC Rep. Beth Helfrich and Rachael Pennell, behavioral health director at the Charlotte Community Health Clinic, held a press conference in Charlotte to shed light on Whatley’s “toxic agenda” and voice the importance of the upcoming Senate race.

“In 2026, we have an opportunity to send Roy Cooper, a champion for everyday North Carolinians and Medicaid expansion, to the United States Senate,” said Helfrich. “Meanwhile, Michael Whatley, who is announcing his campaign just down the road today, has championed Medicaid cuts, calling them the ‘embodiment’ of his agenda and a ‘huge win.’ I see no win for the North Carolina I serve.”

“I’ve seen Medicaid provide lifesaving and lifechanging care for my patients, but now over 650,000 of them could lose their coverage,” added Pennell. “No one should be denied health care because politicians in Washington would rather give tax breaks to billionaires.”

Air Conditioning Goes Out in Uptown Jail Amid Heat Wave

With temperatures reaching 100 degrees on Sunday afternoon for the second consecutive day, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged that the air conditioning in the Uptown jail was operating at just 45% capacity, “resulting in warmer-than-usual conditions in affected areas.”

Repairs were planned to begin on Monday morning following the Sunday afternoon announcement and were expected to finish later that day.

“We realize this may cause discomfort and inconvenience, and we kindly ask for your patience and cooperation as we work to make these essential repairs,” read an MCSO release. “Staff will monitor conditions closely and take any necessary steps to support the health and well-being of residents and employees during this brief period.”

NC-11 Candidates Denounce Speaking Engagement as ‘Deeply Unfair’

Four Democratic candidates for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District seat have signed a strongly worded letter denouncing the appointment of a fifth candidate, Jamie Ager, as sole keynote speaker at the upcoming NC-11 Democratic Gala in Asheville.

Candidates Zelda Briarwood, Col. Moe Davis, Paul S. Maddox, and Chris Harjes all signed the letter expressing their “collective and unequivocal disgust” with the announcement.

“This decision is deeply unfair and, more importantly, fundamentally undermines the principles of transparency, inclusion, and neutrality that must govern the Democratic Party’s role in primary elections,” the letter reads. “When party committees and events show favor to one candidate over others, it not only tips the scales inappropriately, but it damages the credibility of our shared institution and discourages broad participation in our democratic process.”

The letter goes on to allege that the speaking engagement may constitute an illegal campaign donation by a nonprofit by way of electioneering.

“We urge the NC-11 Executive Committee to immediately amend the gala program to include all qualified Democratic Congressional candidates. Anything less will further erode trust and weaken our party’s ability to energize and unite voters heading into November. We will picket and boycott the event unless level heads prevail.”