Dem candidate gets elected to the House in surprise win — and has a court appearance for car theft next week

North Carolina Democrat LaKesha Womack won the state’s 14th Congressional District in a surprise midterm victory, defeating Republican Tim Moore. Her win has drawn attention to a pending felony charge: she is accused of failing to return a rental car, and is due in court next week.

The court appearance is scheduled for 10 November. The car was valued at about $20,000, and sentencing guidelines for the Class H felony range from four months to more than three years in prison. A conviction would not automatically disqualify Womack from serving, though a sentence of at least two years could affect committee and leadership roles; expulsion would require a two-thirds House vote. She has called for due process and said she experienced a medical emergency and homelessness around the time of the alleged offence, without explaining how they relate to the case.