(The Center Square) – Counted provisional ballots in Senate District 26 have pushed the lead of challenger Sam Page from two to 23 over 13-term incumbent Sen. Phil Berger in the Republican primary.
The State Board of Elections update came Friday after reports filed by election boards in Rockingham and Guilford counties. Page, sheriff of Rockingham County since 1998, declined an invite from the president for a job in favor of unseating the president pro tempore of the General Assembly’s upper chamber.
Page leads 13,136-13,113, a split of 50.04%-49.96%. Possibly still coming are overseas and military ballots, due by Thursday ahead of the canvass on Friday.
“While today’s results were not what we had hoped, the vote difference continues to be less than 1%, the threshold for requesting a recount,” Berger said in a statement. “As we wait for the election results to be reviewed one week from today, our legal team will continue to evaluate the situation.
“If we believe a recount is merited, I will pursue that avenue as allowed by law. A lot of folks have supported me throughout my time in public service, and I owe it to them to ensure clarity of the election results.”
Both candidates are from the community of Eden in Rockingham County, where legislation that would have permitted building a casino was favored – and eventually dropped – by Berger and opposed by Page.
In Rockingham County provisionals, Page gained 56 votes and Berger 26. In Guilford County provisionals, Page gained three votes and Berger 10. Overall, Page ruled Rockingham 9,065-4,526 and Berger was the choice of Guilford 8,587-4,071.
On Nov. 3, the survivor is up against and favored to defeat Reidsville Democrat Steve Luking.
Berger has been president pro tempore of the chamber since the historic 2010 midterm elections gave Republicans majorities in both chambers for the first time since Reconstruction 140 years earlier.
Page has been more of an advocate for raising teacher pay, broader transparency in public records access, and from his occupation, public safety and justice system reform.
Berger is on board with tax breaks, deregulation and disassociation with “politically correct agendas that trample on our values.”
The Senate’s Republican leadership team behind Berger includes Sens. Ralph Hise of Mitchell County, deputy president pro tempore; Michael Lee of New Hanover County, majority leader; and Amy Galey of Alamance County and Todd Johnson of Union County, both majority whips.
