With all of the precincts reporting for the NC Senate 15 race, Republican John Alexander is ahead of Democrat Tom Bradshaw by just 777 votes: 40,748 to 40,031, raising questions if Bradshaw will request a recount. District 15 is in Wake County.
Meanwhile, in one of the nastiest and most expensive state legislative races, in State Senate District 18, incumbent Republican Chad Barefoot, backed by big GOP money, is leading Sarah Crawford by a 52-48 percent margin. However, only 69 percent of precincts have reported. District 18 includes parts of northern Wake and Franklin counties.
Easy winners tonight (they’re probably home watching reruns of CSI: Miami):
Wake County, NC Senate 16: Incumbent Democrat Josh Stein beat Molotov Mitchell, despite Mitchell’s support from the NRA, by 21,000 votes or a 67-33 percent margin.
NC Senate 17: Tamara Barringer, an incumbent Republican, won an easy race over Democrat Bryan Fulghum, 58–42 percent. However, it says something about voters’ distaste for a Republican when a fast food cashier with no political experience can get 31,049 votes.
Durham County:
NC Senate 22: Mike Woodard, a former Durham City Councilman, won his second term to the state senate in a snoozefest, defeating Herman Joubert by a 67–33 percent margin.
NC Senate 23 (also Orange County): Valerie Foushee, a Democrat and former Orange County Commissioner, handily beat Republican Mary Lopez-Carter by a 69–31 percent margin. It’s a bummer night at the Lopez-Carter household. Dave Carter, Mary’s husband, ran for N.C. House 56 and was trounced by Verla Insko.
