CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Still trailing in a tight race, Governor Pat McCrory Tuesday called for a full recount of ballots cast in the disputed race for Governor.
Democrat Roy Cooper is now claiming to have a lead over McCrory of more than 8,000 votes, but that is still in the margin where McCrory could call for a recount.
Even though the final votes have not been certified, McCrory's campaign filed Tuesday to meet a statutory deadline.
Russell Peck, McCrory's campaign manager, said in a statement, "...we must keep open the ability to allow the established recount process to ensure every legal vote is counted properly."
Responding to McCrory's request for a recount, Roy Cooper's Campaign Manager, Trey Nix said, "We are confident that a recount will do nothing to change the fact that Roy Cooper has won this election."
Cooper, who declared himself the winner two weeks ago, has gone ahead and named a transition team.
Eric Heberlig, who teaches political science at UNC-Charlotte, said Cooper has to walk a fine line while preparing to take over if he is declared the winner, "yet at the same time, try not to make it look like he is overly pressuring the Board of Elections to reach a final and appropriate conclusion."
It is expected now that it will be sometime after Thanksgiving before all the local Boards of Elections complete their work on processing provisional ballots.
To read the Governor's recount letter, click here.
In response to Governor Pat McCrory’s request for a recount, Cooper for NC campaign manager Trey Nix released the following statement:
"This is nothing but a last-ditch effort from Governor McCrory to delay and deny the results of this election. Roy Cooper leads by 8,569 votes – a number that is growing daily as counties finalize election results. We are confident that a recount will do nothing to change the fact that Roy Cooper has won this election.”