North Carolina may be headed for recount, but not in presidential race

North Carolina could be headed toward recounts in two key races where candidates held narrow margins over their opponents.

Since Nov. 3, the races between Cheri Beasley and Paul Newby for Supreme Court chief justice and Josh Stein and Jim O’Neill for attorney general have been too close to declare a winner.

State law allows a candidate to request a recount in statewide races if they are trailing their opponent by less than 0.5% or 10,000 votes, whichever is less. The candidate must request the recount by Nov. 17, the second business day after the counties certify their election results, which mostly took place Friday.

Beasley had been ahead by 35 votes when the weekend began. But Newby swapped places with his challenger on Monday morning after Washington County election officials realized they had counted mailed-in ballots twice. Newby is ahead by 230 votes. But Stein led O’Neill by around 14,000 votes, making a recount look increasingly unlikely. Five counties still had not reported final vote totals.

The Associated Press and other news outlets called North Carolina for President Donald Trump on Friday. As of midday Friday Trump remained ahead of his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, with around 73,000 votes.

North Carolina’s pick for president no longer matters nationwide after Biden collected enough Electoral College votes Saturday to secure the president-elect title.

Chief justice, AG

Judicial races tend to get little attention during elections, but Beasley and Newby turned that around Thursday night.

Newby, a Republican Supreme Court justice, had led Beasley, the Democratic incumbent chief justice, since Nov. 3 by narrow margins. On Thursday night, Beasley moved ahead of Newby. They traded leads several more times Friday.

In the attorney general’s race, incumbent Stein maintained his lead since Nov. 3.

Republicans have already said they’re looking into calling for a recount in both races if possible.

If a recount determines a new winner, the original winner can request a second recount.

Other undecided races called

At the beginning of the week there had been 10 races not yet decided.

Then Auditor Beth Wood learned she would retain her seat.

State Rep. Josh Dobson will become the next labor commissioner following the retirement of the “elevator queen” Cherie Berry, who posted her photo on every elevator in the state after stepping into the role in 2001.

On Thursday night, Court of Appeals Judge Lucy Inman conceded to Phil Berger Jr., another appeals court judge and the son of the state’s Senate leader. He will become a justice on the Supreme Court bench.

New Hanover, Pitt, Cumberland and Alamance counties learned who would serve them in the state legislature.

Sen. Harper Peterson conceded his race Friday and thanked New Hanover County residents for allowing him to serve the past two years.

Former Sen. Michael Lee led Peterson Friday afternoon by 1,268 votes. Lee held 50.5% of the votes.

The AP called three other races:

• Republican Rep. Perrin Jones, who represents Pitt County, lost his seat to Brian Farkas. Farkas, a Democrat, secured 51.1%. Farkas was leading by 814 votes.
• Rep. John Szoka held on with 50.88% of the vote in a race with Frances Vinell Jackson. Szoka represents Cumberland County.
• Rep. Stephen Ross, who represents Alamance County, lost to Ricky Hurtado, a Democrat who was leading Ross with 50.6% of the votes.

This story was originally published November 13, 2020 at 3:25 PM with the headline "North Carolina may be headed for recount, but not in presidential race."