NC Democrat who won U.S. House seat still faces felony charge over unreturned rental car

Rep.-elect LaKesha Womack, a Democrat who won a surprise House race in North Carolina, is still facing a felony charge for allegedly not returning a rental car in 2019, The Hill reported Thursday ¹. She defeated outgoing Republican Rep. Tim Moore in the state's 14th Congressional District ¹. The charge is an allegation, and she has not been convicted of anything.

What the charge says

The charge is failure to return a hired motor vehicle valued at more than $4,000 ². The warrant alleges Womack rented a 2019 Toyota Corolla from Budget Car Rental in October 2019 and did not return it by the agreed date ². It puts the car's value at $20,000 ².

On tapeWCNC · Nov 4

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The case is a class H felony under North Carolina law ¹. A summons was first issued in January 2020, but the local station's report does not explain why it was not served until this year ².

Polk County sheriff's deputies served Womack on Sunday, Oct. 11, at a campaign event, according to WBTV ². The Hill says she was served for failing to appear for a criminal summons tied to the charge ¹.

From Channel GOPRoy Cooper on election night in North CarolinaRoy Cooper · 795 plays · captioned, with the source named

A campaign issue

Moore used the charge against her and ran campaign ads about it ¹. Womack answered that the Republican was exploiting an unresolved legal matter to attack her character, according to the Charlotte Observer, as cited by The Hill ¹.

In a statement, Womack said she recognizes that public service brings scrutiny. She also said the timing of her court date, one full week after Election Day, was frustrating ². Her campaign did not directly address the warrant itself ².

On tapeWRAL · Nov 5

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What happens next

It is unclear whether Womack will start her term in the House because of the charge ¹. A felony conviction would not automatically bar her from serving, but it would limit her role ¹.

House rules say a member convicted of a crime carrying a sentence of two or more years should "refrain from voting on any question at a meeting of the House or of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union," according to the House Ethics Committee, as The Hill reports ¹. The Hill says that would mean Womack should avoid committee assignments and party leadership posts ¹.

The Hill reports that the maximum sentence for a class H felony in North Carolina is two years. It adds that an actual sentence depends on the defendant's background ¹.

Why it matters

That matters because Democrats are pressing a promise of oversight and accountability. The pattern voters will watch is whether the party applies the same standard to its own members that it demands of Republicans. A court date next week will be the first real test, and the court will decide the facts. Until then, she is presumed innocent.

The Record

1. Oct 11, 2026Polk County deputies serve Womack with a felony warrant at a campaign event over an alleged unreturned 2019 Budget rental car ².
2. Nov 3, 2026Election Day: Womack defeats Rep. Tim Moore in North Carolina's 14th District ¹.
3. Nov 5, 2026The Hill reports Womack still faces the felony charge and it is unclear whether she will begin her House tenure ¹.

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<h2>NC Democrat who won U.S. House seat still faces felony charge over unreturned rental car</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Investigations Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/nc-democrat-who-won-u-s-house-seat-still-faces-felony-charge-over-unreturned-rental">The GOP Files</a> on Thursday, November 5, 2026.</em></p> <p>Rep.-elect LaKesha Womack, a Democrat who won a surprise House race in North Carolina, is still facing a felony charge for allegedly not returning a rental car in 2019, The Hill reported Thursday . She defeated outgoing Republican Rep. Tim Moore in the state&#39;s 14th Congressional District . The charge is an allegation, and she has not been convicted of anything.</p> <h2>What the charge says</h2> <p>The charge is failure to return a hired motor vehicle valued at more than $4,000 . The warrant alleges Womack rented a 2019 Toyota Corolla from Budget Car Rental in October 2019 and did not return it by the agreed date . It puts the car&#39;s value at $20,000 .</p> <p>The case is a class H felony under North Carolina law . A summons was first issued in January 2020, but the local station&#39;s report does not explain why it was not served until this year .</p> <p>Polk County sheriff&#39;s deputies served Womack on Sunday, Oct. 11, at a campaign event, according to WBTV . The Hill says she was served for failing to appear for a criminal summons tied to the charge .</p> <h2>A campaign issue</h2> <p>Moore used the charge against her and ran campaign ads about it . Womack answered that the Republican was exploiting an unresolved legal matter to attack her character, according to the Charlotte Observer, as cited by The Hill .</p> <p>In a statement, Womack said she recognizes that public service brings scrutiny. She also said the timing of her court date, one full week after Election Day, was frustrating . Her campaign did not directly address the warrant itself .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>It is unclear whether Womack will start her term in the House because of the charge . A felony conviction would not automatically bar her from serving, but it would limit her role .</p> <p>House rules say a member convicted of a crime carrying a sentence of two or more years should &quot;refrain from voting on any question at a meeting of the House or of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union,&quot; according to the House Ethics Committee, as The Hill reports . The Hill says that would mean Womack should avoid committee assignments and party leadership posts .</p> <p>The Hill reports that the maximum sentence for a class H felony in North Carolina is two years. It adds that an actual sentence depends on the defendant&#39;s background .</p> <h2>Why it matters</h2> <p>That matters because Democrats are pressing a promise of oversight and accountability. The pattern voters will watch is whether the party applies the same standard to its own members that it demands of Republicans. A court date next week will be the first real test, and the court will decide the facts. Until then, she is presumed innocent.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/nc-democrat-who-won-u-s-house-seat-still-faces-felony-charge-over-unreturned-rental">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/nc-democrat-who-won-u-s-house-seat-still-faces-felony-charge-over-unreturned-rental.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. The Hill, “Democrat who won surprise US House race facing felony charge” (2026-11-05). thehill.com/homenews/house/6202537-lakesha-womack-nc-felony/
2. WBTV, “Felony warrant served to woman running for North Carolina's Congressional District 14” (2026-10-31). wbtv.com/2026/10/31/felony-warrant-served-woman-running-nort

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