Primary Sabotage? Niqab-Wearing Muslim Woman Who Has Voted Democrat Since at Least 2008 is the ONLY ‘Republican’ Running for North Carolina Senate
A Republican filing in North Carolina’s 2026 state senate race has sparked intense debate among conservative activists online after a woman with a long record of Democratic voting history entered the race as the sole Republican candidate so far.
Lakeshia M. Alston has filed to run for North Carolina State Senate District 22, which covers parts of Durham County. Images from her official candidate filing quickly circulated on social media after being shared by conservative commentator Eric Daugherty. The photos show Alston standing between the American and North Carolina flags while wearing a black niqab that covers her face except for her eyes.
According to the Durham County Board of Elections, Alston filed her notice of candidacy on December 17. Since then, the images have drawn thousands of reactions online, with many conservatives questioning the legitimacy of her candidacy and raising concerns about potential manipulation of GOP primaries.
Public voter records indicate Alston has a long history of participation in Democratic elections. Data from the North Carolina State Board of Elections shows she voted in Democratic primaries and general elections going back to at least 2008, including Democratic primaries in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020. Third-party voter databases, including VoterRecords.com, also list her as a Democrat registered at a Durham address for more than a decade.
🚨 BREAKING: This person – Lakeshia M. Alston – has filed as a REPUBLICAN for North Carolina State Senate District 22 in the 2026 election
The ONLY Republican running.
They are trying to screw up the primaries.
What a JOKE. pic.twitter.com/2Pu7RVPXAu
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 28, 2025
Under North Carolina law, candidates must be affiliated with a political party for at least 90 days before filing to run in that party’s primary. Because Alston filed on December 17, she would have needed to change her registration to Republican by September 18. Records suggest that any party switch would have occurred after the 2024 election cycle, during which she reportedly voted as a Democrat.
Unaffiliated voters are not permitted to file in party primaries, meaning Alston would have had to formally register as a Republican to qualify for the race. To date, she has not publicly addressed her change in party affiliation or outlined any policy positions.
Found her voting records.
She’s been voting as a Democrat since 2008… pic.twitter.com/1n71pHB95n
— Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) December 28, 2025
Alston has no visible campaign website, and no platform statements have been located. Her X account, @LakeshiaAlston1, appears inactive, with minimal followers and a profile photo dating back more than a decade.
District 22 is considered a reliably Democratic district and is currently represented by Democrats. On the Democratic side, two candidates are already running: incumbent Senator Sophia Chitlik and challenger DeDreana Freeman.
North Carolina operates under a semi-open primary system, which allows unaffiliated voters to choose a party ballot. However, critics argue that low-turnout primaries can be vulnerable when only one candidate files under a party banner. If no additional Republicans enter the race, Alston could secure the GOP nomination without opposition and advance automatically to the general election.
OPEN PRIMARIES: Lakeshia M. Alston’s official filing photo as a Republican candidate for North Carolina State Senate District 22, featuring her in a niqab. Alston is a Democrat exploiting North Carolina’s open primaries where unaffiliated voters can cross party lines. This is why… pic.twitter.com/hUrvqUxI2s
— @amuse (@amuse) December 28, 2025
As of now, the North Carolina Republican Party has not issued a public statement regarding the filing. Some conservatives are urging party leadership to review the situation and encourage another Republican candidate to enter the race before the filing deadline.
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