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Mecklenburg County state Rep. Carla Cunningham is softening some of her most controversial comments on immigration, months after a floor speech and vote that sparked backlash among Democrats and helped draw multiple primary challengers.
Cunningham, a six-term Democrat, voted this summer with Republicans to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of a bill requiring sheriffs to cooperate more closely with federal immigration authorities. In explaining her vote on the House floor, Cunningham said immigrants must assimilate and stated that all cultures are not equal — remarks that quickly drew criticism from fellow Democrats and immigrant advocates.
At a town hall held weeks later, Cunningham stood by her vote and her language, telling constituents she was being authentic and speaking her truth. Her comments prompted jeers from the crowd and a tense exchange over whether immigrants are treated as fully human.
Since then, three candidates have announced plans to challenge Cunningham in the March 3 Democratic primary. One of them, community activist and Baptist minister Rodney Sadler, says he has raised about $80,000 — enough to mount a serious campaign.
In an interview with WFAE last week, Cunningham said her emotions were heightened during her floor speech, which she delivered after receiving what she described as threats from Democratic leadership. While she said she does not regret her vote, she acknowledged she would change some of her wording.
She said she would no longer say cultures are “not equal,” instead saying they are “not the same,” and emphasized that she was not suggesting any culture has less value.
Cunningham said she would still vote today to override Stein’s veto and rejected accusations that she is anti-immigrant.
“I am not a bigot and I am not anti-immigrant,” she said, adding that as an African American woman she understands discrimination firsthand.
Sadler said he urged Cunningham not to support the override, framing the issue as a moral one. He compared her rhetoric to historical arguments used against marginalized communities and criticized her response to recent immigration enforcement actions in Charlotte.
Cunningham said she was troubled by some federal enforcement tactics but stopped short of condemning the operation outright.
Two other Democrats — attorney Morris McAdoo and Vermanno Bowman — have also announced primary challenges. Cunningham has frequently been a swing vote, siding with Republicans on high-profile veto overrides.
Sadler said his campaign will focus on party loyalty and sustaining Democratic vetoes on legislation he considers harmful.
Gov. Stein has already signaled the importance of veto politics in primaries this year, endorsing a challenger in another legislative race against a Democrat who voted with Republicans to override vetoes.
