Democrats Miss Complete Takeover of North Carolina State Government — By the Smallest of Margins

One race in North Carolina has prevented a complete takeover of the state's government by Democrats, if the final tally after a provisional-ballot count holds. Democrats control the governor's office of North Carolina, and unofficial election counts indicate they will take over the state's House of Representatives. Republicans may have avoided losing control of the state Senate by only 228 votes. Control of the state's Senate depends on Republican state Sen. Danny Britt Jr. defeating a challenge from Democrat Catina Hamm in District 24. The latest update of unofficial results from the North Carolina State Board of Elections shows Britt with 28,047 votes and the Democrat with 27,819 votes. That means Republicans may have avoided losing control of the state Senate by only 228 votes in the pivotal contest. The results will become official after canvassing and certification is completed. Democrats across the country not only won both chambers of the U.S. Congress but won hundreds of state-level elections that flipped several states into the "trifecta" column for them. In North Carolina, Republicans lost their veto-proof majority against Democratic Gov. Josh Stein. But if the results hold for Senate District 24, they will avoid handing Democrats another state trifecta. If Hamm is somehow able to defeat Britt, both Republicans and Democrats would hold 25 seats each in the state Senate. The deadlock would be decided by the lieutenant governor, who is a Democrat. A recount is not automatic, but the losing candidate can request a recount if the margin is less than 1%, which is currently the case in the Britt-Hamm contest.