(The Center Square) – Republicans flipped a blue seat red to take 31 seats in the North Carolina Senate on Tuesday, winning three pivotal races on a night when one for each party was decided by less than 100 votes of more than 100,000 cast.
By 38 votes of 121,988 cast, Republican Ashlee Adams of Wake Forest won District 18 over Terence Everitt to flip a seat held by Democrats. Everitt ran for the post as a favor to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper; he had planned to retire from the state House of Representatives. Bode decided not to run in order to commit more time to family.
Sen. Lisa Barnes of Spring Hope fended off the challenge of Nashville Democrat James Mercer in District 11, and Sen. Michael Lee of Wrightsville Beach turned back Wilmington Democrat David Hill.
Thirty is the magic number for a three-fifths majority in the chamber, the minimum needed to be successful in a veto override. Recounts are permitted if margin of victory is “less than or equal to half of 1% of the vote, or fewer than 10,000 votes. Requests are to be made by noon on the second business day after a county canvas process concludes.
Democratic Sen. Rachel Hunt left her position for a run at lieutenant governor. Charlotte’s Woodson Bradley kept the District 42 seat blue by 27 votes of 123,117 cast, beating Charlotte Republican Stacie McGinn.
In other pivotal races, District 4 went to Sen. Buck Newton, R-Wilson, over Goldsboro Democrat Raymond Smith 57.4%-42.6%; Lumberton Republican Danny Britt won District 24 over Lumberton Democrat Kathy Batt 58.8%-41.3%; and Raleigh Democratic Sen. Lisa Grafstein won District 13 over Cary Republican Scott Lassiter 50.2%-47%, with Raleigh Libertarian Susan Hogarth less than 3%.
