Look for recounts in the Lt. Governor’s race where Dan Forest is ahead 11,200 votes right now, in 7th Congressional district where McIntyre is ahead of Rouzer by only 507 votes and in the state Senate district 1 where Stan White leads Bill Cook by 388 votes – all under the 1% margin of total votes cast required for a recount.
Over half (54%) of the 195 elected officials in North Carolina are new. 30 of the 50 state senators and 69 of the 120 House members will be freshmen or sophomores.
Eight counties had a local sales tax increase on the ballot. Six said no – Alamance, Harnett, Lenoir, Pasquotank, Scotland and Swain. Two said yes to higher taxes – Edgecombe and Greene.
$14M in outside money was spent trying to influence state races.
Two legislative races reached the $1M mark in spending by candidates – Senate 18 where Chad Barefoot defeated Doug Berger and House 116 where Tim Moffit beat Jane Whilden. After all finance reports are filed, there could be more that exceeded the $1M mark. BTW: members of the General Assembly make $13,951 a year plus $559 a month for expenses.
Wake County had the highest voter turnout in the state – 80%.
House District 41 where Tom Murry beat Jim Messina has the highest number of unaffiliated voters in the state at 38%.
North Carolina was the only swing state that went for Romney.
Colorado and Washington voted to legalize marijuana and tax it.
