North Carolina Senate Leader Phil Berger (R) could lose his bid for reelection, with unofficial Republican primary results from Tuesday night showing him two votes behind MAGA-aligned Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page.
Berger, who has represented State Senate District 26 since 2001 and is described as “one of North Carolina’s most powerful state legislators” by Raleigh outlet WRAL News, will likely request a recount after appearing to receive 13,075 votes to Page’s 13,077.
Officials still have to tally provisional ballots and ballots from military and overseas voters, which could take until March 13, the outlet reported. The official results are likely to be within the one-percent margin that would allow the losing candidate to request a recount.
Page, who has been the local sheriff since 1998, told supporters that outstanding votes will only help him more at a campaign event on the evening of the primary.
“A win is a win,” he said.
Berger refused to concede, arguing that counting the remaining ballots would help him instead.
“We will continue through the process until we know what the result is,” the senate leader stated.
Noting the rarity of legislative leaders losing primaries, WRAL stated that political analysts had predicted that Page’s name recognition would be a threat to Berger.
“We always knew that the potential existed for this to be close,” Berger said Tuesday evening. “I think you could say this is close.”
Durham outlet The Assembly reported that Republicans are likely to spend more than $10 million to support Berger, with his campaign and independent groups doling out more than $8.6 million as of February 14 with $2 million remaining on hand at that time.
“We just showed that money don’t win elections,” Page told supporters. “Relationships win elections. We have the support of the people. We have the support of the voters, the citizens of Rockingham and Guilford county and that’s who I work for.”
Breitbart News has previously covered Page’s outspoken stances against illegal immigration and “political correctness.”
Though Berger won President Donald Trump’s endorsement, the president complimented Page and offered him a job in his administration, which he declined.
“Phil Berger has served as the Highly Respected Leader of the North Carolina Senate for over a decade, helping us deliver massive and historic Victories across the State, including my six BIG WINS and Primaries in 2016, 2020, and 2024!” Trump said in a February Truth Social post.
In the same post, he wrote, “Sam Page is GREAT, he has been a longtime supporter, but I really want him to come work for us in Washington, D.C., rather than further considering a run against Phil — Both are such outstanding people!”
In his response to Trump’s post, Page said, “I appreciate President Donald J. Trump’s kind words and his offer to have me join him in Washington. The President knows the strength of my support — I chaired ‘Sheriffs for Trump’ and served as his North Carolina state chairman while Phil Berger was attacking him and even letting his team call the MAGA movement a ‘death cult.’”
“But I’m committed to upholding conservative values here in North Carolina and ending the corruption and liberal policies Phil Berger has pushed for years,” the sheriff added. “I will defeat Phil Berger on March 3.”
Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.
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