Phil Berger

The recount involved ballots from three precincts across the district. Berger needed to gain two votes to trigger a full recount. He did not.

Senate leader Phil Berger is calling for a second recount in his close Republican primary race with Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page. A machine recount wrapped up Thursday without changing Page's 23-vote lead. But state law allows Berger to seek a hand-to-eye recount of randomly selected ballots, a process that would likely begin next week.

A machine recount is underway following the state's normal procedure, but Senate leader Phil Berger wants election officials to perform a hand-to-eye recount on certain types of ballots.

Senate leader Phil Berger’s primary campaign raised 34 times as much money as his challenger, Rockingham County Sam Page, but Page’s candidacy was boosted by four outside groups — most of which haven’t disclosed much about their donors and spending.

Berger filed four protests Tuesday. He also requested a machine recount in the race, which began Tuesday in Guilford County.

Berger says there are several "overvotes" and hundreds of "undervotes" in Senate District 26 election, asks elections board members to visually check those ballots.

Berger, North Carolina's longtime state Senate leader, trails by 23 votes after the county canvass. His campaign says some voters in Guilford County who should have had that senate district on their ballots swear they did not.

As a recount (and possible election legal challenges) loom in the close primary between Senate leader Phil Berger and Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page, Page is raising concerns over whether the process can be handled fairly.

Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page led the Senate's Republican leader by two votes heading into Friday's tally of provisional ballots. It is now 23 votes.

After Election Day voting was tallied, Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page led Republican Senate leader Phil Berger by two votes. But there may be more ballots to count.