Politics
Property records place two North Carolina congressional hopefuls outside the districts they seek to represent
Records show Democratic candidate LaKesha Womack bought a home in a neighboring Charlotte district while her registered voting address was listed for rent. Republican Rep. Brad Knott is registered to vote in a district next to the one he represents.
Two North Carolina congressional candidates or incumbents are registered to vote outside the districts they seek to represent, a review of voting and property records found—a practice that is legal under the U.S. Constitution but uncommon among members of Congress.
Democrat LaKesha Womack, who is challenging Republican Rep. Tim Moore in North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District, has a voting address in south Charlotte within that district. But property records show she bought a home in north Charlotte this summer, in neighboring District 12. The south Charlotte address was listed for rent on Zillow.
Womack agreed to an interview about whether she had moved out of the district, then canceled. She did not respond to a subsequent request for comment.
Republican Rep. Brad Knott, who represents the 13th District, is registered to vote at an address in Raleigh that falls within the neighboring 2nd District. A spokesperson for Knott did not respond to a request for comment.
The Constitution does not require members of the U.S. House to live in the districts they represent. House members must be at least 25, have been U.S. citizens for at least seven years and live in the state they represent.
A 2017 Washington Post report found that 21 House members were registered to vote outside their districts. North Carolina has 14 congressional districts.
Redistricting has also changed the political boundaries candidates must navigate. Democratic Rep. Don Davis was drawn out of his district in the latest round of redistricting and is seeking reelection in a newly drawn district that favors Republicans.
Residence is not a constitutional qualification for House service, but where candidates live can matter to voters assessing their ties to the communities they hope to represent.