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 106 is in the northern part of Mecklenburg County, near UNC Charlotte. It is younger, more affluent and more diverse than the state overall. Median age is 36 (versus 39 for the state), median household income is $84,000 (versus $72,000) and 60% of the population is Black or Hispanic.
Among registered voters in the district, 48% are Democrats, 39% are unaffiliated and 13% are Republicans.
Democrat Rodney Sadler ousted longtime incumbent Carla Cunningham in the primary. Cunningham had sided with Republicans in key votes and has since switched her party affiliation to unaffiliated. Sadler is uncontested in this general election.
Rodney Sadler
Party: Democrat
Incumbent: No
Age: 58
Previous experience in elected office: None
Occupation: Associate Professor of Bible and Director of the Center for Social Justice and Reconciliation, Union Presbyterian Seminary
Description:
Sadler's top issues include better funding public schools, increasing teacher pay and halting private school vouchers. He also wants economic relief for working families, advocating for raising the minimum wage, creating affordable housing and fighting utility rate hikes. He believes that "healthcare as a human right" and supports universal single-payer healthcare. Sadler also frames his platform around a "moral movement" that emphasizes protecting voting rights, ending partisan gerrymandering and defending immigrant rights by opposing local law enforcement cooperation with ICE. Sadler defeated incumbent Carla Cunningham in the 2026 March primary after receiving endorsements from the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Gov. Josh Stein. Cunningham had been criticized for siding with the Republican majority on key votes. She has since switched her party affiliation to unaffiliated.
Other personal:
Sadler is from Charlotte and a father. He is a published author and editor, with work in the intersection of race, religion and social justice. He has served in various pastoral and academic roles in Charlotte. He earned a bachelor's from Howard University in 1989, a Master of Divinity from Howard University School of Divinity in 1992 and a Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible and Biblical Archaeology from Duke University in 2001.