When Tricia Cotham, a former Democratic lawmaker, was considering another run for the North Carolina House of Representatives, she turned to a powerful party leader for advice. Then, when she jumped into the Democratic primary, she was encouraged by still other formidable allies. Except what was unusual — and not publicly known at the time — was that the influential people who had privately encouraged Ms. Cotham to run were Republicans, not Democrats. One was Tim Moore, the redoubtable Republican speaker of the state House. “I encouraged her to run because she was a really good member when she served before,” Mr. Bell recalled in an interview.

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Persons: Tricia Cotham, Cotham, Tim Moore, John Bell, “, ” Mr, Bell Organizations: Democratic, North Carolina House of Representatives, Republican Locations: Charlotte