North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory ‘s campaign criticized his Democratic challenger on Wednesday for claiming victory in the state’s neck-and-neck gubernatorial race, saying tens of thousands of votes had yet to be tallied.
Reuters reported that Roy Cooper, the state’s attorney general, declared victory after unofficial election results showed him leading the Republican incumbent by about 5,000 votes in the largest of the 12 U.S. states that elected governors on Tuesday.
“Claiming an outcome before the process has concluded is irresponsible and disrespectful to the voters of North Carolina whose voices have yet to be heard,” McCrory campaign strategist Chris LaCivita said in a statement.
The process of counting outstanding absentee, military and provisional ballots may extend into next week meaning a delay in the confirmation of the winner.
Commenting on the race, Human Rights Campaign President had Griffin said, “We are confident that once the results are certified, Roy Cooper’s victory will be confirmed. By electing Roy Cooper their next governor, North Carolinians have sent a powerful message across their state and this country that the days of anti-LGBTQ politicians targeting our community for political gain are over. While McCrory may have been surprised by the overwhelming opposition in this state and across the country to his discriminatory politics, the same will not be true for lawmakers who considering doubling down on anti-LGBTQ extremism in the future. This is a wake-up call.”
