Sidman has a fundraising edge in race to challenge Tricia Cotham
Documents show $51,000 raised, including notable Charlotte names
The following article appeared in the Feb. 23, 2024, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with smart and original local news for Charlotte. We offer free and paid subscription plans. More info here.
🇺🇸 Election Notes: Sidman has big fundraising edge in race to take on Tricia Cotham; Ledger Election Hub adds videos and podcasts
Now through Election Day, The Ledger will round up tidbits of election news to help you make an informed choice. For unbiased election information that’s free to all, with no ads, check out The Ledger’s Election Hub.
◼️ Fundraising edge in south Charlotte N.C. House race: Prominent local Democrats seem to be rallying around candidate Nicole Sidman in the primary race to take on Democrat-turned-Republican Tricia Cotham in what’s expected to be a hotly contested General Assembly seat.
N.C. House District 105 contains Matthews, Mint Hill and parts of south Charlotte, and it pits Sidman, a lawyer and outreach director at Temple Beth El, against nonprofit executive Terry Lansdell and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools community engagement employee Yolanda Holmes. Democrats are eager to knock off Cotham in November, as her party switch last year gave Republicans a legislative supermajority that overrode vetoes on measures such as abortion restrictions, environmental rules and election laws.
Campaign finance documents obtained by The Ledger this week show Sidman has raised a little more than $51,000 this election cycle, with well-known donors including former school board member Jennifer De La Jara ($150), former Charlotte City Council member Julie Eiselt ($500), former Bank of America CEO Hugh McColl ($1,000), county commissioners Susan Rodriguez-McDowell and Laura Meier ($100 each) and former Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts ($100).
Sidman’s fundraising seems as though it is outpacing that of her Democratic competitors; at a candidate forum this month, Lansdell said he is not actively seeking donations, and Holmes said she has raised a few thousand dollars, WFAE reported.
◼️ New videos, podcasts on Ledger Election Hub: Early voting continues this week, and The Ledger’s Election Hub has all the info you need to cast an informed vote in the March 5 primary. In the last week, we have added videos of Mecklenburg County commissioner candidates and two podcasts: One that examines Mecklenburg’s Democratic ballot and another looking into the Republican ballot. Ledger editor Tony Mecia and elections researcher Sucharita Kodali discuss the Democratic ballot with Bryan Holladay of CLT Public Relations and discuss the Republican ballot with former City Council member Kenny Smith.
You can check out our Election Hub here — it’s free to all, with no paywalls or ads, thanks to the support of Ledger members and sponsors. (The N.C. Local News Lab took a “behind the scenes” look at the creation of The Ledger’s Election Hub this week.)
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Business manager: Brie Chrisman