Gov. Pat McCrory files for recount in gubernatorial race

RALEIGH, N.C. — Gov. Pat McCrory officially filed for a statewide recount Tuesday. His attorneys argued to the State Board of Elections that it shouldn't declare a winner until officials have checked any votes that may have been cast illegally.

"The State Board has the authority to investigate the issue and we believe it should investigate the merits of it so that every legal vote gets counted," said John Branch with the McCrory campaign.

Since Election Day, there has been a battle between McCrory and his challenger Attorney General Roy Cooper over who won the governor’s race. The state's latest numbers show Cooper is up by more than 6,000 votes.

Cooper has repeatedly said that he won the race. He even announced key members of his transition team Monday, which turned up the pressure on McCrory to concede. His campaign argued Tuesday that the protests over votes are too little, too late.

"Even if you took all of these that ahve been filed and added them all they wouldn't change the outcome of this election," said Kevin Hamilton with the Cooper campaign.

McCrory's request for a recount came just as the State Board of Elections was wrapping up a meeting in Raleigh, where they decided to tell counties to go ahead with their canvasses.

In a letter sent to the State Board of Elections, McCrory states, “With serious concerns of potential voter fraud emerging across the state, it is becoming more apparent that a thorough recount is one way the people of North Carolina can have confidence in the results, process and system."

Channel 9's Mark Becker asked Mecklenburg County elections director Michael Dickerson when we'll know who is North Carolina's governor. He said an end could be coming in a couple of weeks.

"Once they finish their canvass, they'll call the election board together to watch the recount," Dickerson said. "They'll watch us run through everything again, and it should take a day at best."

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