LaKesha Womack is a Democrat from Charlotte, North Carolina, who defeated Republican Rep. Tim Moore in November 2026 to win North Carolina's 14th Congressional District seat, according to unofficial returns. It was her first run for public office. Raised in Evergreen, Alabama, she has worked for more than two decades as a strategy consultant to businesses and nonprofits, has served as chief strategy officer of Aspire Community Capital, a community development financial institution, and is an ordained minister.
Democratic candidate for U.S. House in North Carolina's 14th Congressional District (2026)
We have documented 5 statements by LaKesha Womack, in 2 cases. Each statement below gives the quotation, its original source and a link to the full case.
Case updates
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Role at the time: Representative-elect for North Carolina's 14th District, on The Bulwark with Tim Miller
Challenged the characterization
Response to this claim
Womack suggests that the timing of the summons, served at a campaign event shortly before early voting and more than six years after it was first issued, was meant to hurt her campaign, and that a more serious matter would have been pursued sooner.
“If I had stolen a car, would they really wait six years to come and find me to talk about it?”
The reference point is the pending felony charge that Womack failed to return a 2019 rental car, and whether it should count against her as a candidate for the seat. Womack rejects the description of the matter as a car theft and suggests the timing of the summons shows it was used against her, which disputes how the charge has been characterized.
Role at the time: Democratic nominee for North Carolina's 14th District, in a campaign statement published by WBTV
Challenged the characterization
Response to this claim
Moore and his campaign say Womack's pending felony charge raises serious questions and that she owes voters an explanation before the election, with her court date set for the week after it.
“Candidates for public office should be held accountable and voters deserve transparency. Accountability, however, must be grounded in facts, fairness, and due process rather than speculation or sensationalism. As an attorney himself, Congressman Moore knows full well that any ongoing legal matter should be addressed through the appropriate legal process.”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Charlotte woman running for North Carolina's Congressional District 14 served felony warrant: What we knowFull article, including the campaign statement
Why we used this label
The reference point is the pending felony charge that Womack failed to return a 2019 rental car, and whether it should count against her as a candidate for the seat. Womack disputes how Moore's ads present the matter and says it should be judged through the legal process, without addressing the conduct alleged.
Role at the time: Democratic nominee for North Carolina's 14th District, in an interview with WSOC-TV
Minimized
Response to this claim
Womack suggests that the timing of the summons, served at a campaign event shortly before early voting and more than six years after it was first issued, was meant to hurt her campaign, and that a more serious matter would have been pursued sooner.
“But I will say that if it were something much more serious, then I probably would have been served and charged much quicker than a week before early voting started.”
The reference point is the pending felony charge that Womack failed to return a 2019 rental car, and whether it should count against her as a candidate for the seat. Womack declines to discuss the facts but argues from the timing that the matter is not serious, which downplays the charge.
Role at the time: Democratic nominee for North Carolina's 14th District, in a campaign video
Defended or excused
Statement summary
In a campaign video she called a family meeting, Womack says she did not know a case had been filed against her over a rental car because she was homeless. She says she did not return the car on time and owes the company money.
“And I did not know that they had filed a case against me for this because again, I was homeless”
The reference point is the pending felony charge that Womack failed to return a 2019 rental car, and whether it should count against her as a candidate for the seat. Womack acknowledges the late return and gives her homelessness as the reason she did not know about the case, an explanation that excuses the conduct.
Role at the time: Democratic candidate for U.S. House, North Carolina's 14th district
Explicitly stayed out
Statement summary
Asked directly on PBS North Carolina's State Lines whether the United States should get out of the war in Iran, quit it, win it or negotiate its way out, LaKesha Womack said she would need to see research and do scenario planning and a cost-benefit analysis before deciding a path forward, adding that the current path is not sustainable.
“what happens if we just walk away? What happens if we continue to fight? You know, we have to do a cost-benefit analysis... But I know the path that we're on right now is not sustainable.”
Democrat LaKesha Womack defeated Rep. Tim Moore in North Carolina's 14th District while facing a pending felony charge over a 2019 rental car. Moore said she owed voters an explanation; Womack called his ads deceptive and the charge a non-issue.
An issue tracker recording where members of Congress and 2026 midterm candidates stand on the unauthorized Iran war, based on their votes on war-powers resolutions, campaign statements, and public remarks.
