Two-Vote Margin Separates Page and Berger in NC Senate Primary; Recount Likely

Unofficial returns in the Republican primary for North Carolina Senate District 26 showed Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page with 13,077 votes and State Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger with 13,075 votes, a two-vote margin out of 26,152 ballots cast that leaves the race effectively tied. All precincts were reported in the initial returns, but at least some provisional ballots remained to be counted as of 11:19 p.m. March 3, leaving the final outcome unsettled.

The two-vote gap falls within North Carolina’s 1 percent recount threshold and has already pushed the contest into a procedural holding pattern. Berger must submit any demand for a recount in writing to the State Board of Elections by noon on the second business day after votes are canvassed. Election officials have not yet completed the canvass or released a final count for provisional ballots.

Phil Berger has represented the district since 2001 and has served as Senate President Pro Tempore since 2011; he is running in what was described as his 13th term and has been a central figure in redistricting, budget and judicial appointment fights at the statehouse. Berger, whose campaign and allied independent groups were on track to spend about $10 million in the contest, said after the initial returns, "Basically the message is ... this is not over. This is something that we’ve got to make sure we get all the legal votes counted and we go through that process."

Sam Page has been Rockingham County sheriff for 28 years and won handily in his home county, while Berger narrowed the gap in Guilford County precincts where Page is less well known. Page told supporters in a brief post-result speech, "This will be a very short speech, ladies and gentlemen," and added, "The results are in we just won." The district runs along the North Carolina-Virginia line and includes all of Rockingham County and a large portion of Guilford County.

The contest drew national attention when former President Donald Trump endorsed Berger and posted on Truth Social, "Phil Berger has served as the Highly Respected Leader of the North Carolina Senate for over a decade, helping us deliver massive and historic Victories across the State, including my six BIG WINS and Primaries in 2016, 2020, and 2024!" Trump also praised Page as "GREAT" while saying he wanted Page to work in Washington, D.C. after offering Page a job that Page declined in December.

A final Page victory would immediately raise questions about Republican leadership in the General Assembly; former governor Pat McCrory suggested Berger "could be an example for top legislators who lose touch with their districts." Given the district’s heavy Republican lean, the primary winner is widely expected to be the general-election favorite and would face Democrat Steve Luking in November if Page’s lead holds.

What happens next is procedural: county boards must finish canvassing and count remaining provisional ballots, then the State Board’s canvass will set the clock for any recount filing by noon on the second business day afterward. Until those steps are complete, the two-vote margin will remain a razor-thin uncertainty with potential consequences for Senate Republican control in Raleigh.