After losing her primary to Rodney Sadler, state Rep. Carla Cunningham said on Friday that she's leaving the Democratic party. She'll finish out her term as unaffiliated.
Cunningham had drawn Democrats' anger by siding with Republicans over Democratic Gov. Josh Stein on several key veto override votes, most notably one requiring stricter immigration enforcement.
In a statement, Cunningham said she wants to serve a people not a party, and that the Democrats' values no longer align with hers. She will continue to represent her district during the current session and until after the election, when Sadler, who is now running unopposed, will take her seat.