Sam Page Poised to Beat Phil Berger in High Stakes N.C. Primary

Election officials moved one step closer on Friday to determining the winner of one of the most consequential Republican primaries in North Carolina, one that could shift the balance of conservative power in the battleground state.A formal tally from county officials showed Sam Page, a small-town sheriff steeped in President Trump’s political movement, leading Phil Berger, North Carolina’s most powerful legislator, by a margin of 23 votes in the race for a State Senate seat.The Associated Press has not yet called the race, and given the tight margin, Mr.Berger can ask for a recount up until Tuesday at 5 p.m.

His campaign has indicated that it plans to do so, though it has made no formal request.Election experts say a recount is highly unlikely to flip the result to favor Mr.Berger, who has shaped conservative policy in the state for almost two decades.

In the past, recounts in similarly sized districts have changed only a handful of votes.That means Mr.

Page is poised to pull off one of the most shocking upsets in North Carolina’s recent history.The contentious, highly personal battle for State Senate District 26, a rural stretch in the north, underscored not just the anti-incumbent restlessness coursing through voters of all stripes but also the limits of big spending and big names.Mr.Berger and his allies spent a staggering $10 million in the race, and Trump-Berger signs were plastered all over the district, which includes Rockingham County and parts of Guilford County, to highlight President Trump’s endorsement of the Senate leader.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

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