Democrat LaKesha Womack flipped North Carolina's 14th Congressional District while facing a felony charge for failing to return a rental car.
She beat incumbent Republican Rep. Tim Moore 51.1 percent to 48.9 percent on Tuesday — a margin of 6,415 votes. Moore had won the same seat by roughly 16 points in 2024. The district covers parts of Mecklenburg, Gaston, Cleveland, Rutherford, Polk and Burke counties, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
Womack is charged with willfully failing to return a hired motor vehicle worth more than $4,000 under North Carolina General Statute 14-167. Court records show she rented a 2019 Toyota Corolla from Budget that was due back on Oct. 23, 2019. The summons lists the car's value at $20,000. A criminal summons was issued in Jan. 2020 and went unserved. It was then reissued and served on Oct. 11, 2026, at a campaign event in Polk County — less than a month before voters went to the polls. Her next court date is Nov. 10 in Mecklenburg County District Court.
She has admitted she did not return the car on time. She has said she was homeless, had a medical emergency tied to Type 1 diabetes, and never got notice of the case. The rental company recovered the vehicle. She has a lawyer and is not commenting further.
Two Charlotte defense attorneys not involved in the case told local reporters a conviction is unlikely. They noted that charging a felony by summons is unusual and that proving willful intent years later is hard. Possible outcomes include dismissal or a reduction to a misdemeanor.
A conviction would not automatically remove her from Congress. Expulsion still requires a two-thirds vote of the House. Under House Rule 23, clause 10, a member convicted of a crime that can carry two or more years is expected to stop voting on the floor and participating in committee business until the presumption of innocence is restored or the member is reelected. Class H felonies in North Carolina can exceed two years. The House has previously removed members facing serious allegations, including George Santos. Other members have faced ethics findings while in office, such as Democrat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. (RELATED: House Votes To Expel George Santos)
Womack is a first-time candidate who raised roughly $56,000, while Moore raised about $1.9 million, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Questions were also raised about her residency after she bought a home outside the district while her listed voting address inside the district was offered for rent. Federal law only requires state residency. Swing-district Democrats have previously faced questions about consistency on ethics matters involving indicted colleagues, as noted in Daily Caller reporting on George Santos and Henry Cuellar.
Moore's campaign ran ads on the charge, but Womack called them an attack on an unresolved matter and told voters to wait for the courts. She won anyway. She is set to be sworn in on Jan. 3, 2027. The felony case remains pending.
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