Displeased former staffers slam 'pro-choice' Democrat’s devastating pivot on abortion

13 May 2023

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article stated the legislation Rep. Cotham supported was "pro choice." The article has been updated.

Two former staffers for North Carolina State Rep. Tricia Cotham (D) are weighing in to express their disapproval over a proposed piece of legislation that doesn't align with what her constituents stand for.

According to Jezebel, Cotham has a long history of fiercely defending women's right to abortion but her most recent shift now paints a different picture.

Shedding light on the latest developments, Jezebel's Susan Rinkunas explained Cotham's recent move that has left her supporters feeling "devastated, betrayed, and confused."

"This month, in a stunning move that drew national headlines, Cotham decided to switch parties and vote in favor of a bill that would ban abortion after 12 weeks and could close clinics," Rinkunas wrote. "Her defection gave North Carolina’s Republican Party the supermajority they need to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s (D) veto and jam the bill into law, which will further decimate abortion access throughout the South."

"The people who helped elect Cotham and worked for her are, understandably, feeling devastated, betrayed and confused," she added.

During a recent interview, Jonathan Coby — a former adviser for Cotham's campaign who recently resigned — shared his concerns about the lawmaker's latest initiative.

“It makes you wonder, did this person ever believe anything at all?” Coby said in an interview. “For her to vote for this is not just a betrayal of her district, but it’s a betrayal of who she has portrayed herself to be for her entire life.”

“The only thing that I can say for sure about Tricia Cotham from here on out is that she will always be the victim,” Coby also said. “That is just who she believes herself to be, just a victim of life.”

Autumn Alston, a Democratic figure who also previously supported Cotham, expressed similar concerns.

“She used people when she needed them and now she has abandoned them,” Alston told Rinkunas.

Jillian Riley, public affairs director for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic (PPSAT), also released a statement about the lawmaker as she highlighted Cotham's own experience with abortion.

“We hope that a person who has experienced an abortion would do everything they could to protect access to it,” said Riley. “Rep. Cotham has one last chance to do that — to honor her personal experience and to stay true to her word.”

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