North Carolina gubernatorial race in virtual tie
One of the most closely-watched governor’s races on election night came down to a virtual tie late Tuesday, with Republican incumbent Gov. Pat McCrory and Democratic challenger Roy Cooper separated by just a few thousand votes of more than 5 million cast.
The pair were knotted at 49% of the vote each with 99% of precincts reporting, raising the specter of a contested outcome that could stretch past election night.
Speaking at about 12:30 a.m. ET Wednesday, McCrory said the election process will not end for several days, as a winner in the gubernatorial race will not be declared until a canvas of votes, according to WITN-TV in Greenville, N.C. He said the earliest the canvas will be done is Nov. 18.
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"We're going to make sure that every vote in North Carolina counts," McCrory said. "To ensure that every vote counts, there is a process."
However, Cooper declared victory to a gathering of his supporters in Raleigh. “The results will be certified and they will confirm victory,” he told the gathering, according to WCNC-TV in Charlotte.
McCrory came under intense national scrutiny this year for overseeing controversial laws, including HB2, nicknamed the “bathroom bill,” which prohibited transgender residents from using public bathrooms of the gender they identify with, and a voting law that was struck down by the courts. Protests and boycotts ensued in the wake of HB2, including the NCAA’s announcement that it was relocating its championship games.
In other races, Republicans picked up two extra governor’s seats and Democrats held on to four late Tuesday in the race for 12 governor posts across the nation.
In one of more surprising races of the night, Vermont voters chose a Republican governor, Lt. Gov. Phil Scott, despite being an overwhelmingly Democratic and liberal state. Scott is popular in the state and viewed as socially liberal and fiscally conservative.
Missouri voters ushered in a new Republican governor, Eric Greitens, awarding Republicans control of both the legislative and executive branches in the state. He replaces outgoing Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon. Greitens is a former Navy SEAL with no prior political experience.
In other races:
► Indiana Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, won the governor’s seat vacated by vice presidential candidate Mike Pence over Democratic rival John Gregg, the state House Speaker.
► West Virginians elected a Democrat for their governor, millionaire coal executive Jim Justice, even though they overwhelmingly sided with Donald Trump for president.
► Former software entrepreneur Doug Burgum kept North Dakota’s governor’s seat with Republicans.
► U.S. Rep. John Carney, a Democrat, won Delaware’s governor’s seat.
► In Utah, Republican Gov. Gary Herbert beat out Democratic rival Mike Weinholtz to win re-election, making him one of the longest-standing governors in the U.S. He’s held his post for more than 11 years.
► Democratic Gov. Kate Brown held off Republican challenger Bud Pierce to retain Oregon’s governor’s office.
► Republican Chris Sununu defeated Democrat Colin Van Ostern to lead New Hampshire.
► And incumbent Jay Inslee, a Democrat, beat Republican challenger Bill Bryant to win a second term as Washington governor.
Entering Tuesday, Democrats were defending eight governor’s seats, while the Republicans were trying to hang on to four. At least six of those races were seen as competitive or toss-ups.
As in other down-ballot races, the presidential contest — and Trump’s candidacy in particular — impacted several of those matchups. Trump’s widespread support among hardline GOP voters appeared to help Republicans in Vermont, Indiana, North Dakota, Utah and Missouri.
Why are governor’s races important? For starters, governors will be the ones signing off on — or rejecting — any new redrawing of legislative districts, said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.
Also, despite the drama of the presidential elections, voters tend to care more about who’s leading their state government than who’s occupying the White House, he said.
“Washington is often only relevant in war and peace,” Sabato said. “At the state level, your everyday life is affected.”