2 Votes!
Because of just 2 votes, North Carolina politics will be consumed – and the General Assembly will be paralyzed – by recounts and court battles over the Phil Berger-Sam Page election.
This could take even longer than the six months it took to settle the 2024 state Supreme Court race between Jefferson Griffin and Justice Allison Riggs.
And it could end up in the Supreme Court, where Berger’s son sits.
Meanwhile, the budget will go nowhere in the legislature, teachers and state employees will go without raises and state government will continue to drift thanks to Republican infighting and inaction.
Berger will be too busy fighting for his political life to worry about little things like a state budget.
This gives Democrats the chance to make big gains in the legislature this year. That would give Governor Josh Stein a real veto and restore a spirit of negotiation, compromise and constructive action to Raleigh.
Our recent statewide poll (see below – Question 15) found that – by 45-42% – voters prefer Democrats over Republicans for the legislature. That’s a good sign for Democrats in a 50-50 state.
The poll also found (Q45) that – by 57-27 – voters believe Republicans in the legislature are “mostly interested in their own political careers” rather than “serving the people of North Carolina.”
If Berger wages a long, bitter, bloody fight to stay in power, he’ll reinforce that negative for Republicans.
He said last night, “We’re going to continue to press this until all legal votes have been counted” (emphasis added).
Page leads Berger 13,077 to 13,075, according to the State Board of Elections.
Page won their home county of Rockingham by 2-to-1: 9,009 to 4,500.
Berger won Guilford County by more than 2-to-1: 8,575 to 4,068.
Eduardo Medina, a Durham-based reporter for The New York Times, had this delightful description of the candidates and their campaigns last night:
“The two watch parties underscored the deeply different styles, personas and backgrounds of both candidates. Mr. Berger’s party hosted many supporters in suits, and there was a bartender serving people wine in plastic cups. On the projector were photos of Mr. Berger posing with big names in the Republican Party. The tables were set with a white cloth. He served an American flag cake.
“At Mr. Page’s party, there were farmers, men in overalls and plenty of camouflage gear. Election results were projected onto an inflatable wall, similar to the side of a bounce house. Page signs were held high. Some prayed as they waited for the result.”
Wine, suits and big names vs. overalls, camo gear and farmers.
Stay tuned.
The poll of 1,069 voters was conducted January 31-February 4 by Stephen Clermont with Change Research in Washington. See all the questions and results here.
Photo: The Assembly.
2 Votes!
Because of just 2 votes, North Carolina politics will be consumed – and the General Assembly will be paralyzed – by recounts and court battles over the Phil Berger-Sam Page election.
This could take even longer than the six months it took to settle the 2024 state Supreme Court race between Jefferson Griffin and Justice Allison Riggs.
And it could end up in the Supreme Court, where Berger’s son sits.
Meanwhile, the budget will go nowhere in the legislature, teachers and state employees will go without raises and state government will continue to drift thanks to Republican infighting and inaction.
Berger will be too busy fighting for his political life to worry about little things like a state budget.
This gives Democrats the chance to make big gains in the legislature this year. That would give Governor Josh Stein a real veto and restore a spirit of negotiation, compromise and constructive action to Raleigh.
Our recent statewide poll (see below – Question 15) found that – by 45-42% – voters prefer Democrats over Republicans for the legislature. That’s a good sign for Democrats in a 50-50 state.
The poll also found (Q45) that – by 57-27 – voters believe Republicans in the legislature are “mostly interested in their own political careers” rather than “serving the people of North Carolina.”
If Berger wages a long, bitter, bloody fight to stay in power, he’ll reinforce that negative for Republicans.
He said last night, “We’re going to continue to press this until all legal votes have been counted” (emphasis added).
Page leads Berger 13,077 to 13,075, according to the State Board of Elections.
Page won their home county of Rockingham by 2-to-1: 9,009 to 4,500.
Berger won Guilford County by more than 2-to-1: 8,575 to 4,068.
Eduardo Medina, a Durham-based reporter for The New York Times, had this delightful description of the candidates and their campaigns last night:
“The two watch parties underscored the deeply different styles, personas and backgrounds of both candidates. Mr. Berger’s party hosted many supporters in suits, and there was a bartender serving people wine in plastic cups. On the projector were photos of Mr. Berger posing with big names in the Republican Party. The tables were set with a white cloth. He served an American flag cake.
“At Mr. Page’s party, there were farmers, men in overalls and plenty of camouflage gear. Election results were projected onto an inflatable wall, similar to the side of a bounce house. Page signs were held high. Some prayed as they waited for the result.”
Wine, suits and big names vs. overalls, camo gear and farmers.
Stay tuned.
The poll of 1,069 voters was conducted January 31-February 4 by Stephen Clermont with Change Research in Washington. See all the questions and results here.
Photo: The Assembly.