Tricia Cotham Net Worth: How Rich is the Politician Actually?

Tricia Cotham is an American politician who is a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. She represents a Democratic-leaning district in the Charlotte area. As of 2023, Tricia Cotham net worth is estimated to be around $3 million.

Who is Tricia Cotham?

Tricia Cotham is a former school teacher and politician from Charlotte. She became the youngest woman ever to serve in the North Carolina House of Representatives in the 2007-2008 session of the state legislature. On April 5, 2023, Cotham announced that she would switch political parties and become a Republican.

Tricia Cotham was born on November 26, 1978, in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was born to parents, Pat and John Cotham. Her mom, Pat is a current member of the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners. Previously, she was a member of the Democratic National Committee.

Regarding her education, she studied at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and received a BA degree in 2001. Then, she attended the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and earned an MPA degree in 2005.

Tricia Cotham Net Worth & Career

Tricia Cotham was appointed to the 100th district by Governor, Mike Easley in March 2007. She was appointed upon the recommendation of local Democratic Party leaders as a replacement for state Representative, James B. Black. She was 28 years old at that time and eventually became the youngest member of the state legislature in the 2007-2008 session.

In 2008, she served as Co-chair of the House’s K-12 Education subcommittee. She worked as Co-Chair for two years until 2010. Before serving in the state legislature, she served as a school teacher in 2001 where she used to teach social studies. While working as a school teacher, she was named the Most Outstanding First-Year Middle School Teacher in Mecklenburg School District.

After beginning her first year at East Mecklenburg School as an Assistant Principal in 2006, she was appointed to the legislature. After that, she couldn’t continue her teaching job. In 2016, she considered running for the United House of Representatives in the 12th congressional district. On March 21, 2016, she filed to run for the seat. However, she lost the primary election to incumbent Congressman, Alma Adams.

Cotham returned to the North Carolina House of Representatives after winning an election in 2022. In April 2023, she announced that she would switch parties to Republican from Democratic. Just after few days after her announcement, she formally announced her departure from the Democratic Party on April 5, 2023.

Subsequently, she joined the Republican party allowing the GOP a veto-proof supermajority in the state House in the middle of the legislative session. Cotham formally announced her decision at a morning press conference saying that she switched the party out of frustration and disagreements with the modern state Democratic Party.

After she switched the party, Republicans would control 72 out of 120 House seats. It would give the Republican enough seats to override vetoes by Democratic Government, Roy Cooper. However, her decision would not affect Republicans a lot since they already have a supermajority in that chamber controlling 30 out of 50 seats.

Cotham’s party switch would also significantly ease GOP lawmakers’ efforts to pass more conservative priorities such as new abortion restrictions without facing the threat of Roy Cooper’s veto. Tricia’s party switch was also surprising due to her roots in the Democratic Party. In fact, she comes from a family with a history in Democratic Politics.

Tricia has also spent a collective decade in the North Carolina State House. After she moved to Republican, the chair of the NC Republican party, Michael Whatley welcomed her into the GOP on Wednesday. Whatley also shared that the switch it has been proof that the Democrats had moved too far to the left.

On the other hand, the NC Democratic Party reacted furiously to Cotham’s decision and called it a deceit of the highest order. The Democratic party further demanded her resignation from her seat. The Democratic Party chair, Anderson Clayton even called her decision a betrayal to the people of HD-112 with repercussions for the entire state of North Carolina.

Tricia Cotham’s Husband & Personal Life

Tricia Cotham was married to state Democratic Party chair, Jerry Meek. The pair have been living separately since their divorce. Together, they share two sons. Cotham is currently living a single life in Charlotte, North Carolina. The new House Republican caucus member is available on Twitter under the user name, @triciacotham, where she has 11.1K followers.

Tricia Cotham Net Worth

Tricia Cotham has earned an estimated net worth of $3 million as of 2023. She has amassed a hefty sum dedicating over a decade in politics. Cotham is expected to be earning an annual salary of around $174,000 as a U. S. House of Representative member.