Candidates request second primaries

Of the 16 candidates who were eligible to request second primaries in state legislative, Congressional and Council of State races, 15 have done so by today's noon deadline.

This year's second primary will be on July 17. A second primary happens when no candidate wins more than 40 percent of the vote in their party's first primary. The second-place finisher then is able to call for a second primary to determine who goes on to the general election.

Greg Dority, who placed second in the Republican primary for state auditor did not request a runoff. That means Republican Debra Goldman, a Wake County school board member, will face incumbent Beth Wood this fall. 

Registered Democrats and Republicans may vote in the second primary, even if they didn't vote on May 8. Unaffiliated voters who did not vote on May 8 may also vote in either the Republican or Democratic second primary. Unaffiliated voters who voted on May 8 may vote in the same party's primary. (An unaffiliated voter who voted in the Democratic primary May 8 must vote in the Democratic second primary. That person may NOT, for example, choose to vote in the Republican second primary.) 

Here are the races with runoffs: 

This Republican-leaning district is based in Mecklenburg County and the eventual GOP nominee is expected to have an edge over the Democrat and Libertarian in the race. Jim Pendergraph, a former Mecklenburg County Sheriff received 25.31percent of the May 8 vote. He called for a second primary against former state Sen. Robert Pittenger, who received 32.45 percent. 

Mark Meadows, a businessman and party volunteer, fell less than three percentage points shy for the 40 percent of the vote he needed to avoid a second primary. He will face Vance Patterson, a businessman and 2010 candidate for Congress, who got 23.61 percent of the May 8 vote. 

Wake County Commissioner Tony Gurley, a Wake County Commissioner who got 24.83 percent of the vote, has called for a second primary versus Dan Forrest, who get 32.98 percent of the vote in a five-way primary. 

Mike Causey, a Greensboro-area farmer and retired insurance executive, was only two percentage points behind former House co-speaker Richard Morgan in the three-way primary. The two will square off for the right to challenge incumbent Democrat Wayne Goodwin. 

John Brooks, a former labor commissioner, is trying to win his old job back. He lead the three-way field but fell three percentage points short of winning the Democratic nomination. Marlowe Foster, who got 32.98 percent of the vote, called for the second primary. The winner will face Republican incumbent Cherie Berry. 

Kenn Gardener challenged Ed Goodwin to a second primary after the two men won 29.82 percent and 35.94 percent respectively in the four-way May 8 ballot. The winner will face Elaine Marshall, the incumbent Democrat. 

Wake County School Board member John Tedesco garnered less than 30 percent of the vote in the five-way May 8 vote. He faces Richard Alexander, a special education teacher, for the right to challenge Democratic incumbent June Atkinson.

District 44 (Republican) David Curtis versus Chris Carney.