The GOP’s power to override NC governor’s veto hinges on these two close races
If results hold, Democrats in North Carolina’s legislature have blocked Republicans from maintaining their supermajority, preventing the GOP from passing veto-proof legislation next year without at least some Democratic support.
However, results are not yet official. They still need to be certified, and provisional ballots must be counted during what’s know as the canvass. A few tight races have not been called, and recounts could be requested.
Results in two House races will determine whether Democrats gain a seat in the House, breaking the GOP’s supermajority in that chamber. Meanwhile, a couple of close races in the Senate — which has retained its supermajority — could determine whether Republicans gain an additional seat.
Republicans currently have 72 seats in the House and Democrats 48. In the Senate, Republicans hold 30 seats compared to 20 for Democrats. That’s exactly enough for a supermajority, which requires three-fifths of lawmakers, and enables the ruling party to override the governor’s veto of a bill.
So to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes, all GOP members need to be present to vote unless Democrats side with the GOP or do not attend a voting session. Republicans have passed more than two dozen bills into law over Cooper’s veto since Rep. Tricia Cotham switched parties to join them and restore their supermajority.
On Tuesday, Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein decisively beat Republican nominee Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in the gubernatorial race.
And Democrats appeared to end the night with a net gain of one House seat. But Republicans pointed to the possibility of reversing a narrow lead by Democratic challenger Bryan Cohn over Republican incumbent Rep. Frank Sossamon.
If Democrats secure their victory in the legislature, the balance of power could shift significantly, as Stein would be able to veto legislation he opposes. In January, lawmakers elected in this November’s election will take office.
Flipped seats
In the state House, Democrats flipped at least two seats: Beth Gardner Helfrich defeated Republican Melinda Bales in a northern Mecklenburg County district currently held by Republicans. Dante Pittman defeated Republican incumbent Ken Fontenot 51.05% to 48.95% in a Nash and Wilson county district. The Associated Press has called both races.
Offsetting those gains for Democrats, the GOP flipped two seats, according to AP. Democratic Rep. Diamond Staton-Williams lost her seat in Cabarrus County to Republican Jonathan Almond. And in northeast Wake County, Republican Mike Schietzelt won over Democrat Evonne Hopkins. This seat is currently held by Democratic Rep. Terence Everitt, who decided to run for Senate rather than for reelection after the district was redrawn during GOP-led redistricting.
Pittman told The News & Observer he was “humbled and thankful” to voters for his victory.
“We worked very hard, very hard throughout this campaign to reach as many voters as we could, to reach folks across the aisle, to not take anything for granted.”
“We’re going to work to make sure that we represent this community well and make our folks proud,” he said.
Fontenot did not reply to a call or email on Wednesday.
As for the role of his win in helping cement Democrats’ position in the House, Pittman said, “We knew the race was going to be close,” and that breaking the supermajority would come down to District 24. He said he’d “never been of the opinion that a supermajority is healthy for North Carolina. We don’t need one party having all the control over the state legislature. So I’m looking forward to that healthy balance so we can come to the table and govern from the middle of the road.”
During a press conference held by state Republicans, Senate leader Phil Berger said, “the election results actually affirmed what we’ve known for over a decade: Our platform in the legislature is a platform that represents the vast majority of people in the state of North Carolina.”
Republicans have held a majority in North Carolina’s legislature for 14 years.
“The voters are returning Republican majorities to the legislature for the eighth consecutive election. Republicans in the Senate will continue to honor that platform and work tirelessly for the people of the state of North Carolina,” he said. “I believe that after the canvass and the recount process, we very likely will build on that.”
Rep. Destin Hall, who is likely to take over leadership of the House from Speaker Tim Moore, who is going to Congress, said there’s “one seat that’s sort of too close to call,” referring to Sossamon’s seat.
“In any event, whether our final number is 72 or 71, I’m confident that we’re going to have a working supermajority for all intents and purposes, confident that we’ll be able to pass the legislation that you’ve seen us pass in the same vein in the past,” he said.
House seat within recount margin
Two more House seats — one that appears to have been narrowly won by Republicans and one flipped by Democrats — have not been called by the AP, though all precincts have been reported.
These two House races are within the margin that allows for a recount. If that happens and results in these races change, the GOP could still have a shot at retaining its supermajority.
It could also mean that Democrats win another seat.
Candidates in the races can request a recount if they’re losing by 1% or less.
One race within the recount margin is for House District 32 in Granville and Vance counties, where Cohn led Sossamon by 182 votes.
Sossamon did not reply Wednesday to a phone call or email from The N&O.
Cohn told The N&O he knew the race was going to be close “just by how the district is now drawn,” but he said he and his campaign “feel very, very comfortable, and we’re super excited.” He said there would likely be a recount, “but we don’t anticipate” the result “changing post-recount.”
“We’re not declaring victory and doing all that stuff quite yet. We want to be respectful of the process, but we feel that we won this and it was a great win,” he said.
As for the significance of his win in helping Democrats break the supermajority, Cohn said, “I’m super proud of having contributed to breaking that majority. It is never healthy, regardless if you’re a Democrat or Republican, whichever party is in control, it’s unhealthy when you have absolute control.”
“That’s not really the intent of our democracy. That’s not the way we should be governing,” he said. “By breaking the supermajority, we now have the ability to negotiate, to have a seat at the table, and be able to advocate for all North Carolinians and not just a select few.”
Cohn said he believed the success of his campaign was due to “consistency” in reaching out to voters to understand the issues they care about, including water quality, the “disproportionate disadvantage” of private school vouchers, and concerns about jobs and the economy.
Also within recount territory
The other race within the recount margin is House District 105 in Mecklenburg County, where Cotham received 50.26% (27,093 votes) and Democratic challenger Nicole Sidman received 49.74% (26,818 votes).
Sidman’s campaign manager, Anna Fiore, said Tuesday night they would likely call for a recount. On Wednesday morning, Fiore told the Charlotte Observer that the campaign would wait for all ballots to be processed across the county, adding, “We won’t know the results for a few more days.”
The N&O was not able to reach Cotham on Wednesday afternoon.
Hall said during the GOP news conference Democrats “came very hard at Tricia Cotham,” spending millions of dollars against her. “It looks like at this point, she’s going to win that race,” he said.
County boards of elections or the state board can order a discretionary recount after the canvass. However, a county board cannot order a recount if the state board has already denied it.
County boards meet 10 days after Election Day to certify results, and the state board certifies final results in late November.
Tight Senate seats
In the Senate, Republicans have won 30 seats, while Democrats have won 18, but two close races have not yet been called by the AP: districts 18 and 42.
In Senate District 18, covering Granville and Wake counties, Republican Ashlee Adams have a difference of 38 votes between them.
Adams said, “We’re all waiting on information,” since “it was such a close race and there might be a recount, but we haven’t heard anything.”
She said she was “excited if the turnout is in my favor, and I’m looking forward to serving District 18, but of course, I will continue to serve even if I’m not the victor.” She added that if she won, she looked forward “to making some change for everyone, listening to the constituents, and getting their priorities on the voting block.”
Everitt could not be reached by phone or email on Wednesday. In a news release shared with The N&O, Everitt said “while we may not know the official result for a few days, I am deeply grateful to the voters and volunteers for their support and to the election workers who are working to ensure all votes are counted accurately.”
In Senate District 42, in southeast Mecklenburg County, Democrat Woodson Bradley leads Republican Stacie McGinn for a seat currently held by Sen. Rachel Hunt, who won election as lieutenant governor Tuesday. There is a difference of 27 votes between them.
This story was originally published November 6, 2024 at 6:13 PM with the headline "The GOP’s power to override NC governor’s veto hinges on these two close races."
