The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • A16

16A Wednesday, November 5, 2008 charlotteobserver.com The Charlotte Observer By Emery Dalesio Associated Press RALEIGH Democrats appeared to have succeeded in their bid to keep control of North General Assembly. They started Election Day with an advantage in having more un- contested races. Democrats won 31 state House seats when polls closed Tuesday night, while 20 Re- publicans were elected unopposed to House seats. In the state Senate, 10 Republi- cans and 10 Democrats were elect- ed unopposed. By early today, with nearly all races decided, the N.C.

House par- ty split will remain the same, while Republicans appeared to gain a seat in the N.C. Senate. With majorities in most pre- cincts reporting statewide, most incumbents appeared to be win- ning re-election. But in a twist to an otherwise Democratic night, two incumbents in the House and one in the Senate who did appear to be losing early today were Democrats. In Burke County House District 86, Republican Hugh Blackwell tri- umphed over Democratic incum- bent Rep.

Walt Church, 52 percent to 47 percent. In Surry County House District 90, Republican challenger Sarah Stevens was hold- ing onto 51-49 percent lead over Democratic Rep. Jim Harrell. And in the state Senate, in Co- lumbus County in Eastern North Carolina, incumbent Democrat Rep. R.C.

Soles appeared to nar- rowly losing his seat to GOP chal- lenger Bettie Fennell, with Liber- tarian Rachel Merell pulling 6 per- cent. By early today, neither candi- date had a majority, but Fennell was ahead. Among open seats, results were mixed. Some of the tight races: In one Johnston County Senate race, Democrat Kay Carroll held a narrow lead over Republican Da- vid Rouzer, a former aide to U.S. Sens.

Jesse Helms and Elizabeth Dole. With about half the precincts in their Johnston County district re- porting, GOP Rep. Leo Daughtry, a former House majority leader and 2000 gubernatorial candidate, was in a close contest with Democrat Jimmy Garner. Democrats appear ready to take over both state Senate seats left open by the two candidates who decided to run for state treasurer. In Wake County, Josh Stein won the race to succeed fellow Demo- crat Janet Cowell.

Stein was op- posed by Republican John Alexan- der. Democrat Randy Stewart was leading Republican W.B. Bullock on Tuesday night for the Nash County seat previously held by Re- publican Rep. Bill Daughtridge. Stewart is a former Nash County commissioner whose father served in the state House in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Democrats likely to keep hold of state legislature TAKAAKI IWABU (RALEIGH) NEWS OBSERVER PHOTO Charles and Lauren Whaley walk back to their vehicle after they voted at a Raleigh fire station. feel this election is more important than the Charles Whaley said. Most incumbents in both the Senate, House appear to be winning re-election. er this year, Mackey was con- victed of contempt of court. His appeal on that case is pending.

The controversy over the vote first put him in the local spotlight. In 2007, Sheriff Jim Pendergraph, 59, stepped down. Mackey won the intraparty election to re- place him, only to have his victory thrown out when offi- cials discovered that pre- cincts had been improperly organized. Chipp Bailey was chosen to replace Pendergraph. In the other Mecklenburg races for the N.C.

House: District 100: Democratic in- cumbent Tricia Cotham, 29, de- feated Republi- can Tom White, 32. With 100 per- cent of precincts reporting, Coth- am had 74 per- cent to 26 percent. District 101: Democrat Bev- erly Miller Earle, 64, was leading Republican Beth Marlin, 64. With 75 percent of precincts re- porting, Earle, the incumbent, had 80 percent of the vote to 20 percent for Marlin. District 102: Democrat Becky Carney, 63, defeated Re- publican Grego- ry Patrick Hill, 35.

With 95 per- cent of precincts reporting, Carney had 81 per- cent to 19 percent. Hill had dropped out of the race. District 103: Republican Jim Gulley, 69, de- feated Mark Brody, a 56-year-old un- affiliated candi- date. With 100 percent of pre- cincts reporting, Gulley who has spent 12 years in Ra- leigh took 69 percent of the vote to 31 percent. District 103 includes Mat- thews, Mint Hill and east Charlotte.

District 107: Democrat Kelly Alexander, 60, defeated Re- publican Gary Hardee, 54. With 95 percent reporting, Alex- ander, a former NAACP official, had 77 per- cent; Hardee, 23 percent. The district includes west Char- lotte, Pineville and Steele Creek. By Clay Barbour Democrat Nick Mackey completed his political resur- gence Tuesday, winning a seat in the N.C. General As- sembly from Mecklenburg County.

Mackey, of Charlotte, de- feated Republican Dempsey Miller of Huntersville in the race to represent N.C. House District 99. With 85 per- cent of precincts reporting late Tuesday, the 41-year-old law- yer had had 66 percent of the vote to 34 percent. Mackey has been primarily been known for a failed at- tempt to become Mecklen- burg sheriff in 2007 that re- sulted in much political dra- ma. In his N.C.

House race, Mackey first defeated six- term incumbent Drew Saun- ders in the Democratic pri- mary. In the general election, he ran a campaign that at times ignored the local media, refusing to answer questions or return calls. Mackey and Miller were competing to represent a dis- trict that includes Hunters- ville and the University City area. Joel Ford, Mecklenburg Democratic Party chairman, said a of interest in the Democratic presiden- tial ticket helped. Democrat on the ticket owes a Barack Obama a debt of Ford said late Tuesday.

Miller, the Republican, agreed, saying he lost partly because most people voted straight Democratic tickets. did not look at who the candidate Miller said late Tuesday. loss was the third political defeat for Mill- er, a 50-year-old Huntersville real estate broker who has twice run unsuccessfully for town commissioner. Mackey has become something of a controversial figure in Char- lotte, where he has main- tained a steady if not always flattering presence in the lo- cal media. Mackey resigned from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Po- lice Department in 2003 while under investigation for falsifying work hours.

In 2005, he filed for bankruptcy. Earli- Mackey carries out political comeback in statehouse win After failed attempt to become sheriff, he joins 4 other Dems in winning local seats. Mackey Cotham Earle Carney Gulley Alexander N.C. General Assembly Karen Garloch Three incumbent state sena- tors from Mecklenburg County Malcolm Graham, Daniel Clodfelter and Charlie Dannel- ly will return to the N.C. Gen- eral Assembly, having defeated their opponents by over- whelming margins in Tues- election.

With 94 of 100 counties re- porting, Graham, 45, a two-term incumbent Democrat, was de- feating Republican challenger Ed Mulheren, 67 percent to 33 percent. Graham, a former Charlotte City Council member who rep- resents District 40, founded and operates a Charlotte busi- ness that matches large corpo- rations with small and minori- ty-owned businesses. In the Senate, he chairs the Select Committee on Street Gang Pre- vention. Mulheren is an infor- mation technology manager who ran against Graham in 2006 and has never held elec- tive office. Graham said Tuesday he will push for completion of the In- terstate 485 loop around Char- lotte.

not a loop until a full circle. Mecklenburg Coun- ty has been waiting for a long time for that to occur. I want to ensure that our voice is heard loud and clear in terms of trans- portation fund- With 94 of 100 counties report- ing, Clodfelter, 58, a Democrat and five-term in- cumbent repre- senting District 37, garnered 68 percent of the vote, compared to 28 percent for Republican Vince Coscia and 4 percent for Lib- ertarian Rusty Sheridan. Clodfelter is a lawyer with Moore Van Allen who served on the City Council from 1987 to 1993. In the Senate, he is co- chair of the influential Finance Committee that approves state taxes.

Dannelly, 84, a Democrat senator representing District 38 since 1994, was winning his race with 74 percent of the vote. Re- publican James Soder had 23 percent; Libertarian Travis Wheat, 3 percent. Dannelly, who served on Charlotte City Council from 1977 to 1989, is deputy president pro tem, the No. 2 post in Dem- ocratic leadership. Graham, Dannelly, Clodfelter prevail Democratic incumbents from Mecklenburg overwhelm their GOP N.C.

Senate opponents. Clodfelter Graham Dannelly By Joe DePriest Democrat David Hoyle won a nar- row victory Tuesday night in a race to keep his N.C. Senate District 43 seat. Unofficial results showed Hoyle had 51 percent of the vote, or 35,677 votes, to 49 percent, or 33,623, for Re- publican challenger Kathy Harring- ton. A 16-year veteran of the N.C.

Sen- ate, Hoyle, 69, is considered one of its most powerful members. Harrington, 49, was a first-time candidate for polit- ical office. In 2002, Hoyle narrowly defeated husband, Michael, for the seat. District 43 covers all of Gas- ton County except for six precincts in the northeast part of the county. The hottest issue in this con- test was the Garden Parkway, a pro- posed highway running from Char- lotte to Gaston County.

Two years ago, Hoyle invested in 327 acres near a proposed exit for the expressway. He then cast at least three votes in the General Assembly to advance the road and lobbied colleagues to fund it. A legislative attorney said Hoyle, who is a developer, violate state ethics laws when he voted for the funding. But Harrington called ac- tion unethical and said it was an ex- ample of his poor judgment. Hoyle said he knew the GOP had made him the No.

1 target. As senior chairman of the Senate Finance Com- mittee, Hoyle has considerable power and influence. Hoyle said the campaign was the thing ever been through in my proves one thing that a posi- tive campaign can said Hoyle. (Harrington) ran the dirtiest campaign in North Carolina history, and been on the receiving Harrington, who is a Realtor, said Hoyle was ineffective and out of touch with voters. In the 88th N.C.

House District race, Democrat Ray Warren narrowly defeated Republican challenger Mark Hollo. The result was so close, though, that Hollo can request a recount. He said wait to decide until election officials count provisional ballots lat- er this week. The district includes Hickory and Alexander County. Both men won 50 percent of votes, Warren edging Hollo by 209 votes, ac- cording to unofficial results.

Warren had 15,681 votes to 15,472. The opponents spent the campaign season portraying each other as bad for the district. The incumbent, helped by the state Democratic Party, spent more than $200,000 on fliers, TV ads and other methods, while Hollo spent about $120,000. Two years ago, Warren defeated Hollo to win the seat. N.C.

Senate incumbent Hoyle edges Harrington In N.C. House District 88, 209-vote win can be challenged by a recount..