Weeks after election, still no winner in NC gubernatorial race

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Nearly three weeks after election night there’s still no firm timetable for naming a winner in the race for North Carolina governor.

While Democrat Roy Cooper has stretched his statewide lead to more than 7,000 votes, Republican incumbent Pat McCrory seems to be staking his chances on 90,000 early-voting ballots in Durham County that his campaign calls questionable and is asking to be recounted by hand.

Local elections officials said that would be time-consuming work for Durham County.

“This is actually taking each paper ballot and counting them and putting them in a stack,” Mecklenburg Election Director Michael Dickerson said.

A recount in Durham County comes as more than 80 percent of the state’s counties have had their election results certified.

Political expert Eric Heberlig said McCrory’s call for a recount may be his last real shot at turning the results to his favor.

"There's little else that McCrory has at this point that would make up the gap.
He would have little alternative other than to concede," Heberlig said.

A statement from McCrory’s campaign said if errors aren’t found in Durham County’s ballots, “The McCrory Committee will be prepared to withdraw its statewide recount request.”

The North Carolina Board of Elections said it now plans to take up the McCrory campaign's challenge of the Durham County votes on Wednesday.
State elections officials were originally supposed to certify a winner by Tuesday.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

• Judge allows suspected Charleston church shooter to represent himself
• Airlines investigating after service dog, family kicked off Charlotte flight
• Man accused of shooting, killing man in Charlotte club to face judge Monday
• Cyber Monday 2016: Best deals from Apple, Amazon, Best Buy, Microsoft and more
• Chattanooga school bus crash: 3 still in critical condition

Cox Media Group