The Ides of March

We have an open US Senate seat at a time Republicans are trying to hold onto a slim majority in that chamber.  Yet, the political universe is beside itself over a primary race in ONE OF FIFTY state senate districts.

Don’t believe me?  I spent time this week talking with journalists from DC, New York, Los Angeles, Paris and London about Sam Page and Phil Berger.  

Yes, Rockingham County.  Folks from far away are aware of you and your sheriff.  They’re also learning that the city that used to host THAT NASCAR race is not North Carolina’s only Rockingham. 

Pre-election coverage indicated that senate president pro tem Phil Berger was on the ropes.  He was spending in the neighborhood of $10-$12 million to fend off a *lowly* county sheriff.  Berger had also been endorsed by President Donald Trump. Was Berger’s struggle indicative of voter displeasure with Trump?  (Of course, the unintentionally comedic op-ed page at The N&O tried to spin that angle.) 

Actually, the fight was less about Trump and conservatism and more about disgust with corruption and cronyism surrounding and infesting the Berger political machine. While Berger began his leadership tenure as a conservative foil to the big-spending, big-government desires of then-speaker Thom Tillis and then-governor Pat McCrory,  he’s spent more recent years working with Roy Cooper to expand and / or legalize casino gambling, marijuana use, and Medicaid.   Home folks in Rockingham County rarely saw him.  He spent more time in his high-cotton Raleigh condo than he did around Eden. He put a lot of effort into placing family and former employees into key slots in and around government.  Government kept expanding and spending more and more money.  Not much conservatism or limitation of government during the Berger era.

At the end of Election Night, Page stood with a two-vote lead over Berger.  That’s after an estimated $10-$12 million PR barrage financed by all kinds of special interests showing gratitude for Phil’s pampering.  *Can’t have the gravy train being upended and shut down by this pesky sheriff, now can we?*  

Well-known legislative lobbyists were seen in Rockingham County campaigning for Berger.

The results qualify under law for a recount.  The county and state board of elections will have quite a bit of say on the process.  The county elections board is chaired by former county commissioner and well-known Berger ally Don Powell.

The state elections board is administered by state auditor Dave Boliek. It’s well-known that Boliek was recruited for the 2024 auditor’s race by Berger’s political team.  His campaign was managed and heavily financed by Berger’s political team.  Boliek’s staff includes former Berger employees.

Boliek was also sighted in Rockingham County with Berger just days before the election. The Page campaign has described Boliek’s reported visit  as “campaigning” for Berger. 

Considering all of this, how could the Page campaign seriously expect a recount or canvassing to be carried out in a fair, above-board manner?

An unusual closure of the Rockingham County elections office on Wednesday morning also raised some eyebrows.

The Page campaign aired their concerns about these and other related matters publicly in a press conference today.

Let’s consider the possibility that the canvassing and recount result in Berger being declared the winner.  He would be an incumbent returning to Raleigh having eked out a victory by a margin of a handful of votes after spending $10 million-plus, and outspending his opponent 100-to-1. He would certainly look a lot more vulnerable – a lot weaker – than he did prior to this election.

That might possibly invite thoughts of a *palace coup* of sorts.  Hopefully, it wouldn’t be as dramatic or violent as what happened  long ago in the Roman senate to another certain political strongman.