The North Carolina House of Representatives is made up of 120 members of the General Assembly who are elected for two-year terms. The House has lawmaking powers, along with the N.C. Senate. Additionally, House members have the authority to tax and spend, allocate funds, override a gubernatorial veto, provide state agency oversight and elect UNC Board of Governors members. They also conduct constituent services and have the sole power of impeachment.
Candidates must be 21 years old to run for the House and they must have lived in their district for at least one year before the general election.
The N.C. House of Representatives has 47 Democrats, 71 Republicans and 2 unaffiliated members. To override a veto of any bill by the governor, three-fifths of both chambers (72 House members and 30 senators) must vote to override it.
North Carolina House District 105 is on the southeastern border of Mecklenburg County, adjacent to Union County. This district is older and more affluent than the state median. The median age is 44 and median household income is $122,000. Seventy-three percent of the population is white.
Among registered voters in the district, 42% are unaffiliated, 33% are Republicans and 24% are Democrats.
Incumbent Republican (and former Democrat) Tricia Cotham faces former Matthews commissioner and Democrat Ken McCool.
N.C. House of Representatives 105 Candidates
Tricia Ann Cotham
Party: Republican
Incumbent: Yes
Age: 47
Previous experience in elected office: N.C. House of Representatives (2007-16 and 2023-present)
Occupation: N.C. House representative
Description:
Cotham's key issues are fighting inflation, "protecting our community" (she voted to require sheriffs to cooperate with immigration officials, and "putting kids first" (she wants to expand Opportunity Scholarships, i.e. school vouchers that are pro-school choice). Cotham served in the state house for five terms as a Democrat. She switched parties in 2023, giving the Republicans a supermajority that year. At the time, she explained that she had "grown alienated from the Democratic party." She is Vice-Chairman of the Appropriations and Health committees in the N.C. House. She was the primary sponsor on 55 bills in the most recent legislative session, including defunding Planned Parenthood and protecting access to in-vitro fertilization. She was present for 601 of 802 votes in the current legislative session, placing her in the bottom tenth of participation for House members, and with the second highest rate of non-voting in the Mecklenburg delegation.
Other personal:
Cotham is from Charlotte and has two sons. The second was born while she was serving in office. She was previously an assistant principal within Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, where she was awarded the 2002 CMS Teacher of the Year. She is the daughter of longtime former Mecklenburg County Commissioner Pat Cotham and former head of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party, John Cotham. The younger Cotham is currently involved in a property lawsuit against her elderly father's companion, who is accused of manipulation and illegally taking assets. Cotham has a bachelor's from UNC Charlotte and a master's from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Ken McCool
Party: Democrat
Incumbent: No
Age: Approximately 28
Previous experience in elected office: Matthews Town Board of Commissioners (2019 - 2025); former Matthews Mayor Pro Tem
Occupation: President, sports memorabilia business
Description:
McCool has served on the Matthews Town Board of Commissioners for several years and says he has been an advocate of affordable housing, public safety and smart growth. He says he helped bring the Hendrick Advanced Manufacturing Campus to Matthews. He recently published an editorial criticizing N.C. legislators for punishing Mecklenburg County taxpayers for voting against the I-77 tolls.
Other personal:
McCool says he is a lifelong Matthews resident and was first appointed to the Matthews Town Board of Commissioners when he was 21, which made him one of the youngest lawmakers in the state. He runs a sports memorabilia business with his father. He attended Providence High School and Central Piedmont Community College.
