Summary
Phil Berger conceded the Republican primary for his North Carolina Senate seat on Tuesday, handing the race to Sam Page and signaling a major shake-up in the state’s conservative power structure. Berger, who has been Senate leader since 2011, had been trailing Page, the Rockingham County sheriff, after the March 3 primary.
The primary race for the 26th Senate District—covering part of Greensboro and neighboring areas—was decided by a margin that initially measured in just a couple of votes. Page’s lead in unofficial results on primary night was two votes out of more than 26,000 ballots counted, according to the Associated Press.
Election boards in the two counties within the district later reviewed provisional, absentee and other ballots, and further recounts were conducted after protests were filed. Berger ultimately gave up after a hand recount of a small portion of ballots Tuesday morning showed no change in Page’s razor-thin lead.
After the concession, Page is set to face Democrat Steve Luking in the November general election. The Associated Press reported that Berger called Page on Tuesday to concede, and that Page said he planned to focus on uniting the community and winning in November.
Berger’s campaign had outraised Page early on, but the margin between spending levels narrowed in the weeks before Tuesday’s outcome. The Associated Press reported that Page’s campaign was outspent by Berger’s campaign by more than 40-to-1 through mid-February, finance reports show, and that additional independent spending by a pro-Berger group also boosted mailers and advertising; the AP said an earlier version misstated the figure.
The primary loss also adds pressure to the political trajectory of a lawmaker who has shaped North Carolina’s GOP agenda for years. Berger, 73, joined the Senate in 2001 and became minority leader before Republicans took full control of the General Assembly for the first time in 140 years.
Page’s candidacy drew on local dissatisfaction, including criticism that Berger was focused on the state rather than constituents at home. The Associated Press said Berger’s unsuccessful 2023 efforts to pass a law that could have brought a casino to Rockingham County also stirred opposition among some social conservatives and gave Page an opening.
Berger had also received high-profile support from President Donald Trump, who endorsed him for reelection. The Associated Press reported that Trump praised Berger for accomplishments, and it said the endorsement came after the legislature redrew North Carolina’s U.S. House district map in an effort to flip a Democratic seat as part of Trump’s redistricting push to preserve GOP control of the U.S. House this year.
In his concession statement, Berger said, “While this was a close race, the voters have spoken, and I congratulate Sheriff Page on his victory.” He also said, “Over the past 15 years, Republicans in the General Assembly have fundamentally redefined our state’s outlook and reputation. It has been an honor.”
Even with the primary setback, Berger can remain in office and as Senate leader through the end of the year, the AP reported. Senators would pick a new chamber leader in early 2027, after the 2026 General Assembly session begins its 2026 work session in April and lawmakers begin positioning to replace him if Republicans keep their majority.
The Associated Press also reported praise and criticism of Berger’s record alongside the election result. Current GOP House Speaker Destin Hall called Berger “a true titan of conservative leadership in North Carolina,” while Senate Minority Leader Sydney Batch said in a news release that Berger “has put power, politics, and special interests ahead of the people he was elected to serve.”