Most state House and Senate incumbents who faced primaries Tuesday sailed through them easily. But half a dozen will be returning to Raleigh this month as lame ducks, at least according to
unofficial state elections returns.Longtime Democratic Rep. Jim Crawford appears to have lost to fellow Democratic Rep. Winkie Wilkins, who had 56% to Crawford's 37% as of 1:00am Wednesday. The two were drawn into the same district under the 2011 redistricting maps. Crawford had the edge on seniority - 14 terms to Wilkins' 4 - but the new district added a whole new county (Person) that is Wilkins' home turf.
Crawford also alienated fellow Democrats by siding with the Republican House majority last year to override a series of vetoes by Gov. Bev Perdue, most notably the budget. He was appointed a budget chairman by House Speaker Thom Tillis. But he was targeted for his vote by liberal Democrats and the state teachers' group NCAE.
(A second Democratic member of the "Party of Five," Bill Brisson, eked out a 52-48 win over his own Democratic primary challenger, Matt Dixon. The other three Democrats - Bill Owen, Tim Spear, and Dewey Hill - opted not to run for re-election at all.)
Republican Efton Sager has lost his bid against fellow GOP Rep. Jimmy Dixon, 38% to 62%. The two were double-bunked in House District 4 (Wayne/Duplin) under the new redistricting maps.
Republican Stephen LaRoque appears to have narrowly lost to GOP challenger John Bell in House District 10. In unofficial results, LaRoque lost to Bell by just 54 votes out of a total of 7,700 cast. LaRoque proved to be a lightning rod for controversy last year, from his business deals to his contentious dealings with NAACP state president William Barber.
Republican Darrell McCormick has lost to fellow Republican Mark Hollo, who won 68% to 32%. The pair were double-bunked in House 73 in the new voting maps. McCormick actually did fairly well given that he suspended his campaign in March.
Republican Larry Brown has apparently lost his House 74 seat to GOP challenger Debra Conrad, who won 43% to 29%. Conrad is a Forsyth County Commissioner.
Republican Glen Bradley, drawn out of his House district in the new maps, came in a distant third in his bid for the GOP nomination for Senate District 18.
Facing a run-off:
Republican Chris Carney, appointed to replace late Sen. Jim Forrester in Senate 44, is locked in a 35%-34% matchup with fellow Republican David Curtis.
