Wilmington state senate candidate drops out of race after misconduct allegations surface
A Democratic candidate running to represent New Hanover County in the North Carolina State Senate has announced he's dropping out of the race.
The news from candidate Jason Minnicozzi comes days after a social media post alleged he used his position as a public defender to contact a domestic violence victim after watching her testify in court.
Minnicozzi, a former prosecutor in Brunswick County and assistant public defender in New Hanover County, was running against incumbent Republican Michael Lee to represent District 7 in the North Carolina State Senate. The district, which was redrawn following the 2020 U.S. Census, encompasses much of New Hanover County.
Last week, a Wilmington woman posted on Facebook that Minnicozzi sent her a direct message on Instagram in 2015 on the day she had taken the stand in a domestic violence case. Minnicozzi had been sitting in the courtroom waiting for another case to start while she testified.
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In the post, the woman alleged Minnicozzi used court information to find her name and contact her. In screenshots of social media messages between the two, Minnicozzi writes that he wanted to ask for her phone number and go out for drinks.
The woman gave the StarNews permission to use the post but asked her name not be used out of fear of retaliation. It's unclear whether the public defender's office is investigating the claims.
In a statement announcing his decision to drop out of the race, Minnicozzi doesn't mention the allegations. Instead, the statement, which was posted Sunday to his personal and campaign Facebook pages, focuses on a lack of money as the reason for exiting the race.
"Despite the overwhelming support I have received from the residents of the 7th District, it is apparent to me that my campaign simply does not have the financial resources necessary to counter the Republican attacks that are coming," Minnicozzi wrote in the statement.
"I have come to the difficult conclusion that my campaign will not have the financial resources to 'win it.'”
In the statement, Minnicozzi underscores the importance of preventing a "Republican super majority" from taking over the state senate.
"I am hopeful that the candidate who takes my place will have the financial support to do all that is necessary to take on my opponent, and I am committed to doing whatever I can to support whoever that candidate may be," according to the statement.
Minnicozzi states that he's hopeful District 7 residents will "welcome (him) again when the time is right."
The decision to exit the race was the best one for the Democratic Party and Minnicozzi, according to Andre Brown, the chair of the New Hanover County Democratic Party.
To fill Minnicozzi's spot, the party plans to hold an executive committee meeting to nominate and vote on a candidate to run against Lee in the Nov. 8 election.
"We hope to have a new candidate selected within the next week or two," Brown wrote in an email.
Reporter Emma Dill can be reached at 910-343-2096 or edill@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington candidate Jason Minnicozzi drops out of state senate race
