North Carolina Senate Leader Phil Berger Concedes GOP Primary by 23 Votes
North Carolina Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, the state’s top Republican legislator since 2011 and a key architect of its conservative turn, conceded his March 5 GOP primary on Tuesday after a second recount and partial hand recount left him trailing Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page by 23 votes in Senate District 26. Unofficial totals show Page with 13,135 votes to Berger’s 13,112 in the Triad‑area district spanning parts of Guilford and Rockingham counties, a result that held through multiple recounts and election protests before Berger acknowledged defeat. Berger, who had been endorsed by President Donald Trump and heavily outspent Page, said in a written statement that “the voters have spoken,” pledged to stay on as Senate leader through the 2026 midterms, and vowed to help protect the GOP’s legislative supermajority before leaving office in January. Page, who pushed Berger to concede, thanked voters for their trust and urged Republicans to unite ahead of November, when he will face Democrat Steve Luking in the GOP‑leaning district that Berger carried in 2024. The upset ends a 15‑year run for one of the most powerful state‑level Republicans in the country and underscores how even entrenched incumbents with Trump’s backing can be toppled in closely watched primaries, a point already fueling debate among North Carolina activists online about party direction and grassroots anger at Raleigh’s establishment.
📌 Key Facts
- Phil Berger conceded the North Carolina Senate District 26 GOP primary on March 25, 2026, after a second recount and partial hand recount.
- Unofficial results show Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page with 13,135 votes to Berger’s 13,112 — a 23‑vote margin out of more than 26,000 ballots.
- Berger, endorsed by President Donald Trump and in power as Senate leader since 2011, will remain in office and in leadership through January 2027 but will not return after this term.
- Page’s campaign was reportedly outspent by roughly 40-to-1 yet prevailed and will face Democrat Steve Luking in the November general election in a Republican‑leaning district.
📊 Relevant Data
In North Carolina Senate District 26, the population is composed of 66% White, 19% Black, 2% Asian, with the remaining percentage including Hispanic and other groups, based on ACS 2024 estimates.
State Senate District 26, NC - Profile data — Census Reporter
In Guilford County, part of Senate District 26, the Hispanic population has grown from 9.6% to 10.1% since the 2020 Census, an increase of 5.6%.
A map of Guilford County's Population by Race — Census Dots
The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act contributed to the rise in the foreign-born population from 9.6 million in 1965 to 45 million in 2015, including significant increases in Latin American immigration.
Fifty Years On, the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act Continues to Reshape the United States — Migration Policy Institute
A 2023 poll found that 60% of likely Republican primary voters in North Carolina Senate District 26 opposed the proposal to legalize more casinos, compared to 28% who supported it.
NC Senate leader ‘vulnerable’ in primary amid casino debate, pollster says — CBS 17
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time