Campaign Watch: Final Counts Confirm Supermajorities Are Gone

Pending the results of any requested recounts, the final tallies in races for the North Carolina General Assembly confirmed the loss of anti-environment supermajorities in both the House and Senate after 10 House and six Senate candidates endorsed by NCLCV’s Conservation PAC (CPAC) flipped seats.

When all mail-in and provisional ballots were tallied and certified on Friday, one additional House seat was flipped to a pro-environment CPAC-endorsed challenger, but all other results were confirmed. Unless a requested recount changes any outcome, the balance of power next session will be 65-55 in the House and 29-21 in the Senate. This confirms that the legislative majority leadership will be unable to override vetoes by Gov. Roy Cooper on party-line votes, and opens up the legislative process to meaningful public debate and negotiations again.

The one changed result from the day-after projections came in an important contest in Mecklenburg County. Rep. Bill Brawley, senior chair of the House Finance Committee, lost his lead over challenger Rachel Hunt, daughter of former Gov. Jim Hunt. However, Hunt’s lead is less than one percent of the votes cast in that contest, and Brawley has already requested a recount.

Up next, Sewage Spills, Business as Usual? >>

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