North Carolina Democrat LaKesha Womack is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday on a felony charge involving an allegedly unreturned rental car, just one week after defeating Republican Rep. Tim Moore in a stunning upset that flipped the state’s 14th Congressional District.

Womack won the November 3 election with 51.1% of the vote to Moore’s 48.9%, defeating the incumbent by 6,415 votes. The victory was particularly notable because the district voted for President Donald Trump by approximately 15 percentage points in 2024. Womack also faced a significant financial disadvantage, with campaign finance filings showing Moore spent roughly $1.9 million compared with approximately $56,000 for Womack.

Her victory, however, comes with an unresolved legal matter dating back to 2019. According to court records, Womack rented a 2019 Toyota Corolla from Budget Car Rental in October of that year but allegedly failed to return it by the agreed deadline of October 23. The vehicle was valued at approximately $20,000.

A criminal summons was originally issued in January 2020 but was returned unserved the following month. It was eventually reissued, and Polk County sheriff’s deputies served Womack on October 11, 2026, while she was attending a campaign event. The timing placed the legal matter less than a month before Election Day.

The charge is classified as a felony under North Carolina law, which makes it a crime to willfully fail to return a hired motor vehicle valued above $4,000. The $20,000 figure listed in the summons represents the alleged value of the vehicle, not necessarily the amount of money Womack owes the rental company.

Womack has acknowledged that she did not return the vehicle on time. In a video addressing the case, she said she had experienced homelessness while raising her son and did not have a stable address where she could receive legal notices. She also said she believed the matter had been resolved and did not know criminal proceedings had been initiated.

Womack has retained an attorney and has declined to discuss the details of the case further. She previously questioned why the matter had resurfaced so close to the election, saying she wanted voters to judge her based on the facts and allow the legal process to take its course.

Her next appearance is scheduled for November 10 in Mecklenburg County District Court. She has not been convicted of the charge, and the case remains pending.

The timing raises questions about whether the proceedings could affect her transition into Congress. Womack is scheduled to be sworn in on January 3, 2027. A felony charge does not automatically disqualify someone from serving in the House, and a conviction would not by itself remove her from office. Expelling a sitting member requires a two-thirds vote of the House.

However, House rules contain provisions addressing members formally charged with felony offenses carrying potential sentences of two or more years. Under House Rule 23, a member facing such charges should step away from committee assignments and party leadership positions while the case remains unresolved, unless the proceedings result in an acquittal, dismissal, or reduction of the charge. Whether the rule will apply to Womack and how House leaders would address the situation remains to be seen.

For now, Womack’s election victory stands, while the criminal case moves forward. Her November 10 court appearance will be the next significant development in a case that could follow the newly elected Democrat into Washington.