Things are continuing to go downhill for newly elected Democrat LaKesha Womack, who pulled off a major upset in North Carolina’s formerly red-leaning 14th Congressional District, but who is now headed to the courthouse rather than to Washington, D.C. That unfortunate, for her, change of plans is occurring because she is facing felony charges for having stolen a rental car.
For reference, Representative-elect Womack is the one who was served with a felony summons while on the campaign trail regarding a rental car that she stole while homeless. The summons was apparently issued back in 2020, when the alleged felony supposedly occurred, but went unserved until it was re-issued on October 11.
The case stems from her having rented a 2019 Toyota Corolla that was, at the time, worth somewhere around $20,000 from a Budget Car Rental location in Charlotte, North Carolina. She then failed to return it over two weeks later, and allegedly did so intentionally, as she was homeless at the time and living in it. Such behavior is a felony in North Carolina if the rental car is worth more than $4,000.
In any case, the felony summons, according to reports on it that have emerged, orders Womack to appear at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse, her local courthouse, on the morning of November 10 at 9:00 a.m. EST. It also notes that Representative-elect Womack could potentially be held in contempt of court if she fails to appear for the case.
The whole situation would not have been an issue for the Democrats, as Womack was expected to lose handily to Republican Tim Moore, particularly considering that Moore had redrawn the district in 2023 when he was serving as speaker of the state house, and in the process transformed it from a blue-leaning district to a solidly red one. Indeed, Moore won the district by 17 points in 2024. Further, Womack raised a measely $60,000 while Moore raised $2.1 million.
Nevertheless, the general blue wave that appears to have resulted from rising prices and fury over the Iran War debacle pushed Womack to victory in the formerly solid-red district, and as a result Democrats now have to deal with the woman who seems likely to seen be found guilty of a felony and locked up for it in their ranks as she heads to court, and perhaps from there, prison, rather than Congress. It remains to be seen, however, if she is even found guilty.
Womack, for her part, issued a statement on the unfortunate situation and her victory to Fox News Digital, saying, “This historic victory is bigger than me. It is a testament to the power of ordinary people who believe that their voices matter and that leadership should be rooted in service, accountability, and opportunity for all.”
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Representative-elect Womack then went on to try to frame it as a good thing of sorts, telling the media outlet, “As a Black woman, a single mother, an entrepreneur, and someone who has spent more than two decades helping communities grow, I understand both the challenges people face and the possibilities we can create together.”