Governor-Elect Roy Cooper is calling on Pat McCrory to concede the North Carolina gubernatorial race as the latest tally has him ahead by over 10,000 votes.
The most up-to-date count has the Governor-Elect 10,329 votes ahead of McCrory, meaning that he is no longer entitled to a recount paid for by taxpayers. For McCrory to continue forward with a recount, he would have to do so at his own expense. Known for signing the notorious anti-transgender HB2 law, which has devastated North Carolina financially, the now former Republican Governor has lost despite a victory in the state by President-Elect Donald Trump. 66% of North Carolina residents said they opposed HB2 in exit polling, with 57% of saying HB2 was the top reason they voted against him.
“Today, we have hit another milestone in the Governor’s race, that Roy Cooper has clearly won. The margin is now above 10,000 votes.”
“Today, we have hit another milestone in the Governor’s race, that Roy Cooper has clearly won. The margin is now above 10,000 votes. This marks a decisive victory for Roy Cooper and does not allow for an automatic recount given the size of the margin,” said Equality North Carolina Executive Director Chris Sgro. “It’s time for Pat McCrory to concede this race immediately to make sure that the state of North Carolina can go along it’s business with Governor Cooper at its helm.”
McCrory was determined to put the integrity of the election results into question by lodging voter protests in more than half of the state’s one hundred counties. With the official count now passing the critical 10,000-vote threshold, the law no longer requires an automatic recount. Though he could still fund a recount on his own, analysts now say it is almost impossible for him to overturn the result.
“North Carolina just sent a powerful message to the entire country: the days of preying on LGBTQ people for political gain is over.”
HB2 was the most publicized anti-transgender legislation in the United States. It appears the controversial law has a strong chance of being repealed under the guidance of Governor-Elect Cooper. The results in the North Carolina race appear to be a strong indicator of what could happen in a state that passes discriminating laws against the LGBT+ community. “North Carolina just sent a powerful message to the entire country: the days of preying on LGBTQ people for political gain is over,” said Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin. “Roy Cooper is a powerful voice for equality and has vowed to work to overturn the hateful and discriminatory HB2.”
