Rouzer requests recount

Republican state Sen. David Rouzer has requested a recount of votes cast in the Nov. 6 7th-Congressional District race between himself and Democratic incumbent Mike McIntyre.

Rouzer

Rouzer’s campaign issued a statement Tuesday morning.

“Considering this is the closest Congressional race in the country, and in light of the irregularity previously found in Bladen County, which significantly reduced the vote margin at that time, I have decided to request a mandatory recount of the votes cast in the 7th Congressional District as allowed by law,” Rouzer is quoted in the press release.

“In a race this close, accidental human error could easily change the outcome.  It is important to ensure that every legal vote cast is properly and accurately counted,” Rouzer continued.

In response to Rouzer’s announcement, McIntyre’s campaign manager, Lachlan McIntosh, issued the following statement Tuesday afternoon:

“While we respect the legal right for a recount, it is unfortunate that taxpayer dollars, time and resources will be spent on a process that has been closely monitored. All 12 county boards of elections in the 7th District have carefully reviewed the votes, and the results have already shown Mike McIntyre to be the winner. For someone who has claimed fiscal responsibility, David Rouzer is asking taxpayers to pay for his pursuit of his own personal political ambition in a district he had drawn for himself.”

As 12 counties in the 7th Congressional district finished their canvassing process last Friday, Nov. 16, the final vote tally showed McIntyre with 168,697 votes to Rouzer’s 168,042—a victory margin by 655 votes for McIntyre in the Nov. 6 General Election.

McIntyre’s campaign subsequently declared him winner to his ninth congressional term.

Based on these latest tallies, McIntyre’s percentage is just slightly over 50 percent—50.09 percent to 49.9 percent for Rouzer—a difference of .19 percent.

A recount of the race could be requested by Tuesday, Nov. 20, if the race was within 1 percentage point.

Bladen County results show McIntyre with 66.74 percent of votes—10,568—over Rouzer’s 33.26 percent or 5,266 votes.

Unofficial results in Brunswick County show Rouzer with an edge over McIntyre of just 45 votes—28,347 for Rouzer to 28,302 for McIntyre, according to latest numbers on the North Carolina Board of Elections website.

North Carolina’s Congressional districts were redrawn after the 2010 census. The new 7th Congressional District includes much of southeastern North Carolina—all of Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, Johnston and Sampson Counties, most of New Hanover County and portions of Cumberland, Hoke, Lenoir, Pender and Robeson Counties.

In addition in Bladen County, unofficial election results show McIntyre carrying the vote in Columbus (65 percent), Duplin (53 percent), Hoke (78 percent), New Hanover (50.97 percent), Sampson (52.74 percent) and his home county of Robeson, where he received 71 percent of votes.

Unofficial results show Rouzer had nearly 62 percent of the vote in Lenoir County, 60 percent in Johnston County, 58 percent in Pender County and 53 percent in Cumberland County.

Laura Lewis is a staff writer at the Beacon. Reach her at 754-6890 or email llewis@brunswickbeacon.com.