Every gubernatorial race in the nation was resolved weeks ago, with one notable exception. In North Carolina, Gov. Pat McCrory (R) narrowly trailed state Attorney General Roy Cooper (D) on Election Day, but with a margin of fewer than 5,000 votes, out of more than 4 million ballots cast, the Republican incumbent believed he still had a chance.His odds quickly deteriorated, however, when provisional ballots pushed Cooper’s lead to over 10,000 votes, and challenges from McCrory’s legal team were rejected, even by local boards run by Republicans.There’s been a fair amount of talk about more radical tactics through the GOP-led state legislature, but this morning, the governor realized it was time to walk away. WRAL reported that McCrory has finally conceded to Cooper.
McCrory issued a video statement, saying the state needs to unite behind Cooper moving forward. “Despite continued questions that should be answered regarding the voting process, I personally believe that the majority of our citizens have spoken, and we now should do everything we can to support the 75 governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper,” he said in the statement.McCrory said his administration will work with Cooper’s team in the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition. Despite the contested election, Cooper started his transition effort two weeks ago.
