Democrat LaKesha Womack, who pulled off a surprise victory in North Carolina's 14th Congressional District in Tuesday's midterm elections, is due in court on 10 November on a felony charge linked to a rental car she allegedly failed to return in 2019.

Womack defeated Republican incumbent Tim Moore with 51.1 per cent of the vote to his 48.9 per cent, according to results reported by the Associated Press. She was among more than 40 Democrats who captured Republican-held House seats in an election that handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress.

The court appearance in Mecklenburg County District Court in Charlotte comes just a week after her election win, and weeks before she is due to take her seat when the new Congress convenes on 3 January.

The charge is a Class H felony under North Carolina law for allegedly failing to return a hired motor vehicle. Prosecutors say Womack rented a 2019 Toyota Corolla from Budget Car Rental on 7 October 2019 and was required to return it by 23 October that year. The vehicle was valued at about $20,000.

A criminal summons was first issued in January 2020 but was returned unserved the following month. It remained outstanding for more than six years until a Polk County sheriff's deputy served Womack on 11 October 2026, while she was attending a campaign event, less than a month before polling day. The Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office confirmed the service.

Womack has not been convicted, and the charge remains pending. When asked about the case on Friday, she declined to comment. In a statement released last month, she said candidates for public office should be held accountable and that voters deserve transparency, while insisting that accountability must rest on facts, fairness and due process rather than speculation.

According to the Charlotte Observer, Womack has also said she experienced a medical emergency that led to hospital treatment and was homeless around the time of the alleged offence. She has not explained how those circumstances relate to the rental car allegation.

Moore sought to put the case before voters during the campaign. On 28 October he posted on social media that his opponent needed to explain the pending felony charges to the people of the 14th District, adding that a court date the week after the election made the matter significant.

Under North Carolina sentencing guidelines, a Class H felony can carry a prison term ranging from four months to more than three years, depending on the defendant's record and other factors. A conviction would not automatically prevent Womack from serving in Congress, although House rules generally expect members charged with a felony punishable by two or more years in prison to step aside from committee assignments and party leadership posts while the charge remains open. Expelling a lawmaker would require a two-thirds vote of the full House.

For now, the sequence is clear: a competitive seat has changed hands, a summons served during the campaign has become a court date, and a congresswoman-elect will walk into a Charlotte courtroom on 10 November before she ever takes the oath of office.