Stunning upset: outsider sheriff to defeat powerful North Carolina GOP leader
North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger, one of the state's most powerful Republicans, faces a historic political collapse after trailing Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page by just two votes in Tuesday's primary. Berger held enormous advantages: Trump's endorsement, millions in campaign funding, and establishment Republican backing. He has served as Senate president pro tempore since 2011. Page, raising only $45,000, ran as an anti-establishment outsider, arguing Berger had become too comfortable in Raleigh and too insulated from constituents while serving the donor class. The razor-thin margin virtually guarantees legal challenges. In a year when political establishments face voter backlash, Page's populist message resonated. The winner of this Republican primary in the right-leaning district is expected to win November's general election.
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