The results are in ... sort of
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North Carolina voters kicked a handful of incumbents out of office in the primary election yesterday, but a couple of important races remain too close to call.
Why it matters: Just two votes separate longtime Senate leader Phil Berger — considered the state's most powerful Republican — from local Sheriff Sam Page in the unofficial tally reported last night.
- That's recount territory, meaning Raleigh likely won't know for weeks whether Berger is on his way out and leaving behind a power vacuum.
By the numbers: In the unofficial tally, Page has 13,077 votes and Berger has 13,075.
What's next: Those numbers will likely change as election workers in Rockingham and Guilford counties work to authenticate the results and evaluate absentee and provisional ballots.
- The loser can request a recount upon certification of the results, which North Carolina law requires 10 days after an election.
Zoom in: One congressional primary could also be heading to a recount.
- NC-4, Democrat: Incumbent Rep. Valerie Foushee and progressive challenger Nida Allam are within 1% of each other in unofficial results, meaning it's too close to call. Democrats nationwide have looked to the race as a pulse check on voter satisfaction with the party under President Trump.
- NC-1, Republican: Laurie Buckhout won the race, no runoff needed, with 39%. She will face incumbent Democrat Don Davis in a rematch, with a map that now favors Republicans.
The intrigue: Voters across both parties tossed some prominent incumbents from the statehouse.
- Democratic voters soundly rejected state representatives who have voted with Republicans, including Carla Cunningham and Nasif Majeed in Charlotte, and Shelly Willingham in eastern North Carolina.
- Republicans booted out Keith Kidwell, the leader of the House's far-right Freedom Caucus.
State of play: The U.S. Senate primaries proceeded as expected and were called early in the night.
- Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper picked up the Democratic Party nomination with around 92% of the vote. Cooper is viewed as Democrats' best hope to flip the GOP-held seat being vacated by Thom Tillis.
- In November, he'll face Michael Whatley, former chair of the Republican National Committee. Whatley earned over 64% of the vote. His most serious challenge came from a grassroots candidate, a retired Navy officer named Don Brown, who picked up over 15%.
Editor's note: The story has been corrected to say the NC-4 Democratic primary is headed to a recount (not a runoff).