(The Center Square) – Republicans won a battle but lost a war in the 120 North Carolina House of Representatives election races.
Trying to keep 72 seats and ability to thwart gubernatorial veto without needing help, the Grand Old Party came up a seat short despite earning a ballyhooed win in Mecklenburg County. There, Republican Rep. Tricia Cotham kept her seat about 18 months after defecting from North Carolina Democrats.
Holding a majority wasn’t truly in question. The razor thin supermajority was in peril.
Big losses came in Districts 24 and 32 in the eastern part of the state, and District 98 around Charlotte.
In District 24, Democrat Dante Pittman unseated Republican Rep. Ken Fontenot 51.1%-49%. The win was by 871 votes of more than 41,000 cast.
In District 32, Republican Rep. Rev. Frank Sossamon was clipped by Democrat Bryan Cohn by 82 votes of more than 43,000 cast. Cohn had earned 21,054 (48.9%), Sossamon 20,872 (48.5%) and Libertarian Ryan Brown 1,128 (2.6%).
A recount is possible.
And in District 98, Democrat Beth Helfrich defeated Republican Melinda Bales 52.1%-47.9%. Rep. John Bradford, R-Mecklenburg, opted to run for the 8th Congressional District seat rather than his place in District 98. The Rev. Mark Harris won the primary and Bradford was third on Super Tuesday.
The new body in the 120-member chamber is put together for a two-year term starting in January.
In the four races forecast most pivotal, each party got a hold and Republicans came away flipping the other two.
In District 105, Cotham defeated Democrat Nicole Sidman 50.3%-49.7%. In District 115, Democratic Rep. Lindsey Prather edged Republican Ruth Smith 51.4%-48.6%.
In District 35, Republican Mike Schietzelt nipped Democrat Evonne Hopkins 50.4%-47% in the battle for a seat previously held by Democrat Terence Everitt. He was to retire, then was unsuccessful against Republican Ashlee Adams bidding to win a state Senate seat. Libertarian Michael Oakes drew 2.6% of the votes.
And in District 73, Democrat Rep. Diamond Staton-Williams was ousted by Republican Jonathan Almond 53.4%-46.7%.
The Grand Old Party held serve in five other races getting attention. Those were won in District 5 by Rep. Bill Ward, District 9 by Rep. Dr. Tim Reeder, District 12 by Rep. Chris Humphrey, District 25 by Rep. Allen Chesser, and District 37 by Rep. Erin Pare.
Republicans were hopeful in District 104 but came away empty. Charlotte Democratic Rep. Brandon Lofton defeated Charlotte Republican Krista Bokhari 55.9%-44.1%. She is the wife of Tariq Bokhari, a Republican city councilman in Charlotte.
