Charlotte lawmaker Nasif Majeed leaves Democrats

State Rep. Nasif Majeed announced Monday he is switching his party affiliation from Democrat to independent for the remainder of his term. Majeed, a four-term incumbent, lost to Veleria Levy in last month's primary election.

State Rep. Nasif Majeed is the second lame duck Charlotte lawmaker to change party affiliation.

Majeed, who represents House District 99, today announced that he is now independent, a month after losing his re-election bid to Veleria Levy in the Democratic primary. Carla Cunningham, who lost her House seat to the Rev. Rodney Sadler in a primary election, last week moved to independent status. 

“After deep reflection and conversations with constituents across District 99, I have made the decision to disaffiliate from the Democratic Party and serve as an Independent,” Majeed said in a statement. “This decision is rooted in my responsibility to represent people — not party agendas — and to remain grounded in integrity, fairness, and truth.”

Majeed, a four-term incumbent, lost to Levy with 27% of votes cast compared to her 67.5%. He and Cunningham drew the ire of Democratic activists and Gov. Josh Stein for their shared history of siding with Republican lawmakers on veto overrides where Democrats had a one-vote margin of breaking a GOP supermajority.

“During their years in public office Representatives Majeed and Cunningham have voted on bills according to their values and I expect they will continue to do so,” House Democratic leader Robert Reives (D-Chatham) said in a statement. “I value their friendship and look forward to continuing to serve with them.” 

Majeed and Cunningham both will leave office in December when their terms end.

Majeed contends his decision on going independent was based on concerns about political intolerance that doesn’t align with transparency. He didn’t call anyone by name but noted in his statement that campaign strategies and tactics observed in recent election cycles pushed him to change affiliation.

“Our community deserves leadership that is honest, accountable, and respectful of the democratic process,” Majeed said. “I have witnessed and experienced actions within the political landscape that I believe could be perceived as misleading or inconsistent with the spirit of fair elections. I cannot, in good conscience, remain aligned where those concerns are not adequately addressed.”

While Majeed reveal which group of lawmakers he’ll caucus with, he pledged to collaborate with colleagues regardless of affiliation to the benefit his constituents.

“My focus remains unchanged — delivering results for working families, supporting economic opportunity, addressing public safety, and expanding access to affordable housing,” he said. “As an Independent, I am free to evaluate each issue on its merits and advocate without constraint.”

This article corrects the spelling of Veleria Levy's name.

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