Election officials moved one step closer on Friday to determining the winner of one of the most consequential Republican primaries in North Carolina, one that could shift the balance of conservative power in the battleground state.
A final tally from county officials showed Sam Page, a small-town sheriff steeped in President Trump’s political movement, leading Phil Berger, North Carolina’s most powerful legislator, by a margin of 23 votes in the race for a State Senate seat.
The Associated Press has not yet called the race, and given the tight margin, Mr. Berger can ask for a recount up until Tuesday at 5 p.m. His campaign has indicated that it plans to do so, though it has made no formal request.
Election experts say a recount is highly unlikely to flip the result to favor Mr. Berger, who has shaped conservative policy in the state for almost two decades. In the past, recounts in similarly sized districts have changed only a handful of votes. That means Mr. Page is poised to pull off one of the most shocking upsets in North Carolina’s recent history.
The contentious, highly personal battle for State Senate District 26, a rural stretch in the north, underscored not just the anti-incumbent restlessness coursing through voters of all stripes but also the limits of big spending and big names.
Mr. Berger and his allies spent a staggering $10 million in the race, and Trump-Berger signs were plastered all over the district, which includes Rockingham County and parts of Guilford County, to highlight President Trump’s endorsement of the Senate leader.
Despite all that, Mr. Page was clinging to a two-vote lead after Election Day, one that grew in the following days. It was clear that many voters who supported the sheriff could both adore the president and dislike his preferred candidate, Mr. Berger, who was never viewed in the State Capitol as an exemplar of the MAGA movement.
Personality also seemed to play a huge role. Both Mr. Page and Mr. Berger are the longest-serving officials in Rockingham County. But many voters there — where turnout was unusually high — said they simply liked and trusted the sheriff more. He has long been considered an affable presence in the community, and has stood out as a law enforcement official who is extremely hawkish on immigration.
Mr. Berger is considered much more reserved, and Rockingham County residents said they barely ever saw him in the area, which is among the poorest counties in the state.
Mr. Berger also has until Tuesday to lay out potential challenges that could disqualify ballots, but it is unclear if he will do so. His campaign has been under a microscope regarding possible challenges, given that Mr. Berger has deep ties to officials involved in the post-election process, including Dave Boliek, the state auditor who oversees the State Board of Elections.
Mr. Boliek, a Republican, campaigned for Mr. Berger last month. But he has promised to not interfere with the process and rejected calls for his recusal.
Eduardo Medina is a Times reporter covering the South. An Alabama native, he is now based in Durham, N.C.
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