Michael Wray Was Defeated In A Democratic Primary. He Is Trying To Hold Onto Power.

Outgoing State Representative Michael Wray, a pro-polluter Democrat recently defeated in his party’s primary by an incoming environmental champion, is grasping at straws, desperately trying to hang on to the seat he lost. It’s not working for him.

Wray Protests Elections

First, Michael Wray filed protests of the elections claiming “voters were given the wrong ballots, voting machines malfunctioned and that would-be voters were wrongfully turned away, among other complaints.” Yet, all three county boards of elections covering his NC House district have now dismissed (by unanimous votes) Wray’s sore-loser claims of assorted “election irregularities.” “Dark money” groups with connections to the state Republican legislative leadership spent heavily trying to keep Wray in his legislative seat. NC League of Conservation Voters (NCLCV) was among the citizen groups supporting Wray’s Democratic primary challenger, Rodney Pierce. 

“I greatly appreciate the boards’ careful consideration of these matters and am pleased that they agreed that Mr. Wray’s protests were meritless,” Pierce told WRAL last week. “I look forward to the recount to make sure every eligible voter’s vote is counted and I am confident that it will confirm the results of the initial count.”

Wray Asks For A Recount

In addition to Wray’s “meritless” protests which were dismissed by the county boards, he requested a more routine recount, since the initial results showed a difference of less than 1% in the final election night count. As of 3/23/24, the NC State Board of Elections website showed the official final canvass results, including provisional ballots, confirming a Pierce victory by a margin of 34 votes. NCLCV has called on Wray to drop his ill-founded protest claims and accept the voting public’s verdict on his performance in office.

Among his worst pro-polluter votes, Wray voted for the bill stripping state environmental protections from 2.5 million acres of environmentally important wetlands in North Carolina.