After the 2022 election, North Carolina Democrats had reason to celebrate. They had prevented Republicans from winning a supermajority in the North Carolina state House by a single seat. As a result, there was nothing Republicans could do if Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed their legislation. But on April 5, state Rep. Tricia Cotham basically said, “Party’s over.” The long-time Democrat’s switch handed the Republicans their coveted supermajority. Cotham’s move came out of nowhere and stunned political observers, and it's a mystery even we can't solve. Cotham says she left the Democratic Party because she felt “bullied” for not toeing the party line. But besides voting with Republicans on a couple of recent bills, Cotham has been a mostly loyal Democrat during her 10 years in the state House. This defection will have a massive impact on policy in the state. Now that Republicans have the votes to override the governor’s vetoes, they can unilaterally enact some of the laws they’v...