North Carolina state Senate leader requests recount in tight GOP primary

North Carolina Senate Leader Phil Berger (R) has requested a recount after unofficial election results showed him narrowly trailing his challenger in the GOP primary race for his state Senate seat.

Berger and his opponent, Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page (R), were separated by just 23 votes following the March 3 election, according to Decision Desk HQ. The race was too close to call on election night as the two candidates were only separated by two votes, despite Page declaring victory.

North Carolina law allows a candidate to ask for a recount when the margin is less than one percentage point. The deadline to do so for the past election was Tuesday.

In a letter to the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE), Berger requested a hand recount in Rockingham and Guilford counties, claiming his campaign had identified examples of overvotes and undervotes in each.  

“Based on a review of available records of the SD26 race, there are 1 overvote and 134 undervotes in Rockingham County and 2 overvotes and 83 undervotes in Guilford County, which total more than the 23-vote margin in the Senate District 26 race,” Berger wrote.

“These overvotes and undervotes could very likely determine the outcome of this race,” he added.

Berger’s campaign also previously expressed concerns that some voters in the district may have received the wrong ballot on Election Day, according to Queen City News.

Guilford County was expected to conduct its recount on Tuesday. Election officials in Rockingham County told WGHP its recount would be performed on Thursday.  

“The county boards of elections have put in long hours, working tirelessly throughout this election and the post-election period,” NCSBE Executive Director Sam Hayes said in a news release explaining the recount process. “Our goal is to provide the counties with the resources they need during any recounts to ensure the process is transparent and orderly.”

The outcome of the recount could have major implications for the North Carolina legislature, as Berger is widely considered the most powerful Republican lawmaker in the state.

President Trump endorsed Berger last December, urging Page at the time to “come work for us in Washington, D.C.” rather than enter the race.

The winner of the primary is set to face Democrat Steve Luking in the general election in November.

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