Berger-Page forum lays bare the choice in this suddenly national NC race | Opinion
It was a scene straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting, two small-town political candidates sitting at a flag-draped folding table. It just so happened that one of them was the most powerful politician in North Carolina, and the other the larger-than-life sheriff who is challenging him.
The Republican intra-party battle between Sen. Phil Berger and Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page is the most consequential primary election North Carolina has seen in decades, perhaps ever. It’s even gaining national attention as significant power in our purple state hangs in the balance.
The candidates have traded barbs on social media for a year now, and Berger has poured millions of dollars into television ads and mailers over the course of the last two months. But last week, at Rockingham Community College, the two men shared a stage to give a small crowd of voters their best pitch.
The grainy, 15-minute video shows local politics at its best. This candidate forum, I believe, is what the founders had in mind as they sketched out the framework for our government.
But it also reveals the pressing question that will likely decide the outcome of the race: Is Sheriff Sam Page ready for the big time?
The effective leader vs. the man of the people
Berger did what you’d expect from someone who has been at the center of state government for a decade and a half. He recited his record, and hit his marks with the confidence of a man who knows where every lever in Raleigh is and has pulled most of them.
“I’ve been an effective legislative leader for Rockingham County, for Guilford County and for the state of North Carolina for years now,” he said. “I’ve fought every conservative battle there is, and come out on top.”
Then it was Page’s turn. “Too many times we’ve elected officials who forget who their bosses are and whom they serve, we the people,” Page said. Toward the end, he stood up from the table and addressed the crowd directly.
“I am one of you,” he said, pointing. “And I will never forget who I work for, we the people.”
But over the course of the forum, he struggled to get any other sort of message across. He mentioned his main issues — criticizing Berger’s votes on Medicaid expansion, casino gambling and the repeal of House Bill 2 — but the delivery was too jumbled to land with much impact. What came through was frustration, not a plan.
The race in miniature
The more I watched the forum, the more it felt like the entire race distilled to its essence.
This primary has never been about policy. It has always been about Berger himself — about whether the district still believes he is representing them, and about whether voters are willing to trade the most powerful Republican in North Carolina for a sheriff whose main argument is that he isn’t Berger.
Polls have shown the race in different places at different times, but generally close. Both men are well-known in the district, and voters generally have well-formed opinions about each of them.
The survey that best reflects the race came from Rick Shaftan, a political consultant who lives in Rodanthe and runs Neighborhood Research. His top-line figures put the race at 39-35 in favor of Berger in the January poll, but the real value was in the open-ended responses he collected.
He found that voters tend to view Page positively as sheriff, but some question whether he is prepared for the legislature. And he found that Berger’s main downside is that some people just plain don’t like him. The attack ads trying to eviscerate Page’s reputation didn’t help there.
All of that was borne out in the Rockingham County forum. Page looked out of his league. Berger looked annoyed that he had to be there at all.
With early voting now underway, we’ll soon know whether voters will conclude that Sheriff Page just isn’t ready for the leap he’s asking them to make.
Or if they are so fed up with Sen. Berger — his power, his posture, his accumulated years at the top — that they vote him out anyway, consequences be damned.
The answer to those questions will determine not just the winner of this primary, but the shape of North Carolina politics for years to come.
Contributing columnist Andrew Dunn is the publisher of the Longleaf Politics newsletter, which offers thoughtful analysis of North Carolina politics and policy from a conservative perspective. He can be reached at andrew@longleafpol.com.
This story was originally published February 16, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Berger-Page forum lays bare the choice in this suddenly national NC race | Opinion."