Republican state Senate leader Phil Berger on Tuesday conceded defeat to Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page.
After all votes were counted and Rockingham and Guilford counties finished machine and partial hand recounts, Page led Berger by 23 votes. While Berger had set up a legal expense fund, he declined to drag things out further.
“While this was a close race, the voters have spoken, and I congratulate Sheriff Page on his victory,” Berger said in a statement.
Berger on Tuesday formally withdrew protests he’d filed about 13 ballots, allowing the State Board of Elections to certify the race on Wednesday, spokesman Jason Tyson told The Assembly.
Page said that Berger called him Tuesday afternoon and that he thanked the Senate leader for conceding.
“He was very cordial, and I appreciated him making the decision that he made,” Page said in a virtual news conference.
When Berger leaves office, he will have led the chamber for 16 years. His ouster creates a considerable power vacuum in Raleigh.
During his time in the General Assembly, Berger helped expand the legislature’s power and the GOP’s political grip in the state through redistricting, paved the way for substantial changes to the political makeup of various state government agencies, and consistently pushed for lower personal and corporate income taxes. In the process, he amassed a robust network of conservative allies across the state.
He also, however, created strong political foes, particularly after pushing for expanded gambling in the state, including a potential casino in Stokesdale.
Senate Republicans will now be tasked with selecting a successor as leader of the chamber. His defeat came despite a litany of endorsements, including the support of President Donald Trump, and unprecedented spending for a legislative primary.
Berger and a pair of outside groups supporting him spent more than $8.6 million through mid-February and had another $2 million in the bank at the time. Page’s campaign had spent less than $55,000 by that point, but a pair of outside groups backing him had spent more than $719,000.
“It’s not all about the money raised. It’s about the relationships and trust that you’ve built with your community,” Page said.
Page is expected to defeat Democrat Steve Luking in the November general election, given the political makeup of the district. He would then be formally seated in January.
Page said his top legislative priority would be to push for the state to enact timely budgets. “We should be able to have a budget set every year by July 1.”