NC Rep. Cecil Brockman charged with raping a 15-year-old; fellow Democrats demand he resign

Brockman, a Guilford County Democrat, was also accused in court documents of trying to contact the juvenile victim after the alleged rape. Democrats called the accusations “unconscionable and incompatible with public service.”

North Carolina Democratic leaders have called on NC Rep. Cecil Brockman to “resign immediately,” after news broke on Thursday that he’d been arrested and charged with raping a 15-year-old. 

Brockman, a Democrat representing Guilford County in the North Carolina House, was arrested on Wednesday and taken to High Point Jail, where he was charged with two counts of statuatory rape and two counts of “taking indecent liberties” with a child. 

According to the accusations listed in the arrest documents, Brockman, 41, “unlawfully, willingly, and feloniously did engage in a sexual act with [a] 15 YEAR OLD JUVENILE” on Aug. 15. He also, the documents say, attempted to “commit a lewd and lascivious act upon the body of [a] 15 YEAR OLD JUVENILE.”

A Guilford County magistrate denied Brockman bond in the case, citing his role as a lawmaker and his “access to abundant resources to aid in his flight from prosecution,” and wrote that police had “electronic evidence” to support the charges.

The magistrate also said that after the alleged rape, Brockman “attempted to use his status to gain information on the whereabouts of the victim,” and tried to contact the victim in the hospital.

Brockman was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday at 2 p.m., according to Guilford County court documents.

‘Rep. Brockman must resign’

Soon after the news broke on Thursday, the reaction was swift from both parties.

Rep. Robert Reives, the Democratic leader in the NC House, said in an initial statement that if the accusations against Brockman were true, they “would disqualify him from public office.”

A few hours later, he said Brockman had to go.

“As we continue to learn more about the allegations against Rep. Brockman this morning, it has become clear that he is unable to continue serving in the House of Representatives. Rep. Brockman must resign immediately,” Reives said.

Anderson Clayton, the chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, also called on Brockman to resign.

“The profound seriousness of these criminal charges makes it impossible to represent his community,” Clayton said in a post on X.

Another Democrat, NC Rep. Bryan Cohn, also demanded that Brockman resign, calling the allegations “unconscionable and incompatible with public service.”

Destin Hall, the Republican House Speaker, said the same.

“The charges against Rep. Brockman are shocking and extremely serious. Given the evidence that’s publicly known, he should resign immediately so these charges do not distract from the work of the North Carolina House.”

What happens next?

Brockman won reelection last November, and if he resigns, Guilford County Democrats would recommend a replacement, and Gov. Josh Stein would appoint them to finish Brockman’s term.

If he doesn’t resign, things get muddy.

“The #ncga does have the power to remove sitting legislators, but there is no set, clear process to governing the rules or the criteria,” Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University and one of the state’s premiere experts on North Carolina politics, posted on X after Brockman’s arrest.

“Anyone who is convicted of, or pleads guilty to a felony is disqualified from serving, according to the NC Constitution,” he continued, but it is unknown how that would be enforced.

The consequences could extend far beyond Brockman himself. 

House Republicans lost their supermajority in November by a single seat, meaning they need at least one Democrat to vote with them to override any Stein vetoes. Or they just need to hold override votes when a single Democrat is absent. 

If Brockman refuses to resign, but can’t vote during an override, Republicans could push through legislation that would otherwise be blocked.