RALEIGH, N.C. — Super Tuesday is over but it left questions about who some of the winners are. Now, four races are set for a runoff on May 14.
Lt. Governor Republican Nominee
None of the candidates for the Lt. Governor Republican primary met the 30% threshold for a Super Tuesday victory.
With 98% of precincts reporting votes as of Wednesday afternoon, Hal Weatherman has the lead by 20%, Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill has 16%, and former State Senator Deanna Ballard has 15%.
The second primary would be on May 14 and feature only the top two candidates.
NC 6th Congressional District
With 99% of precincts reporting, Addison McDowell (R) got the closest with 26%, Mark Walker (R) taking 24% and Christian Castelli (R) with 21%.
McDowell's support came from the more rural parts of the district, taking 35%, with Walker's support mostly coming from Guilford County, taking 26%.
With no Democratic opposition, whoever wins the runoff in May will be sent to Congress.
State Auditor
Dave Boliek (R) will face off against Jack Clark (R). Clark led the polls by 23% of the votes, while Boliek trailed behind with 22% of the votes.
David Luther Boliek Jr. has ties to the Triad and is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, according to his campaign site.
Clark has a background in auditing and a Master's degree in accounting, according to his campaign site.
NC 13th Congressional District
Brad Knott (R) and Kelly Daughtry (R) will show up for a runoff in May as well. Daughtry racked up 27% of the votes, while Knott brought in 18% of the votes.
Daughtry has nearly two decades of experience in state and federal court systems, where she's participated in all areas of trial practice, including civil and criminal litigation, according to her website.
Knott, a former federal prosecutor, has a background in law enforcement. Some of his focus areas include supporting Israel, securing the border, education, and defending gun rights, according to his platform.
What is a runoff, and what causes it?
In North Carolina, this is when none of the candidates in the primary election receive 30% of the votes.
As an example, the congressional district six seat shows Addison McDowell with 26% of the vote, Mark Walker with 24% of the vote, and Christian Castelli with 21% of the vote.
While these are all the top three, a runoff limits it to just the top two candidates.
So for Castelli, unless absentee ballots and canvassing collect enough votes to push him into second place, it will likely be Walker and McDowell going head-to-head again.
After either the county or state board of elections does their final canvassing, it will be clear who will be on the final ballot by May 14. The NC State Board of Election finishes canvassing by March 26.
That is when we will know for certain that it is Walker and McDowell.
Then, voters will be able to pick one on May 14 for the runoff election.
As for who can vote in this second primary, all voters who live in the district where a second primary is conducted and are registered with the political party of the candidates are eligible to vote in the second primary.
For example, for district six, all registered Republicans who live in that congressional district would be eligible.
Unaffiliated voters who live in that district and either didn't vote in the primary or who voted the ballot of the party for which the second primary is being held would also be eligible.
For the example above, unaffiliated voters who voted a nonpartisan, Democrat, or Libertarian ballot in the first primary would not be eligible to vote in a second primary for the district six candidates.
In counties where second primaries are held, new registration of voters is not permitted between the first and second primaries. This means same-day registration is not available during early voting for the second primary. However, individuals who become eligible to vote between the primary and second primary and who are otherwise eligible to vote in the second primary may register and vote in the second primary.