Mecklenburg absentee ballots widen Democrat’s slim lead in competitive NC Senate race
In one of the closest Charlotte-area races , the final absentee ballots on Thursday increased the Democrat's winning margin by nearly seven times her election night total.
Democrat Woodson Bradley led Republican Stacie McGinn by 181 votes for the North Carolina Senate District 42 race after the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections counted its last absentee ballots Thursday afternoon. Bradley had a total of 62,183 votes, and McGinn had a total of 62,002.
The race was even closer without the last absentee ballots added. After all precincts reported on election night, McGinn trailed Bradley by just 27 votes.
"I am honored that the voters of Senate District 42 have chosen me to represent them in Raleigh," Bradley said in a statement after the count was updated Thursday afternoon. "We've run a campaign that focuses on the people of this district and the issues they care about. As your next State Senator, I will bring this focus to Raleigh to tirelessly fight for all the people of this district and to protect and strengthen our fundamental freedoms."
Senate District 42 is located in southeastern Mecklenburg County. It runs along the Union County border
Tricia Cotham holds lead
The absentee ballots also solidified Republican Rep. Tricia Cotham's likely win in N.C. House District 105, which sits in southeast Mecklenburg County.
With the last absentee ballots, Cotham currently is headed to victory over Democrat Nicole Sidman by a margin of 50.2% to 49.8%. It's a difference of 215 votes. The absentee ballots did little to close the gap of around 270 votes on election night with all precincts reported.
Both Sidman and McGinn are able to call for a recount if they wish, as both results fall within a 1% margin. Kristin Mavromatis, spokesperson for the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections, said losing candidates can call for a recount on Nov. 15, and the process would take a few days.
The board still has to count provisional ballots – 221 provisional ballots in House District 105 and 502 ballots in Senate 42 – said elections director Michael Dickerson. With around 40-50% of provisional ballots usually counted, it's unlikely to change the outcome of either race, he said.
Sidman previously promised to "fight like hell for every vote." Cotham posted on X about her win shortly after the absentee ballots were counted.
"It's an honor to continue serving Meck County. Thank you to God, my family, and to so many who supported this race," Cotham said. I would also like to thank (Sidman) for running as a first time candidate and wanting to serve."
