The results are in for the various races I predicted this week:

MY OVERALL RECORD:  9-1

N.C. General Assembly (4-0)

Kirk deViere handled nuisance candidate Ed Donaldson and will face Wesley Meredith in the fall for Senate District 19.  This will be a red hot race and should be covered in state wide press.  Expect money from outside of Cumberland County on both sides, adding fuel to the fire.  This one will be ugly.

In the Republican primary for NC House 44, Linda Devore doubled-up newcomer Patrick Petsche.  He was embarrassed.  Devore will take on my father, Billy Richardson in November.

Ben Clark and Elmer Floyd fended off their primary challengers and will win in heavily Democratic districts in November.  These two men will be in the General Assembly for the next two years.  You can write it down.

Congress (3-0)

Both Frank McNeill and Dan McCready solidified their status as Democratic favorites and won primaries in the 8th and 9th congressional districts, respectively.  Democrats hope to steal one or both of the seats in November.  They have a rough path ahead, but it’s doable and these are two strong candidates.  Unless Trump or Congress somehow become popular, these will be races to watch.

I went against insider sentiment and Civitas Polling (that showed Robert Pittenger with a 30 point lead) and predicted Mark Harris would win the Republican Primary in the 9th Congressional District.  Pittenger is the first congressional incumbent to lose a primary in recent memory.  I’m proud of this one.

Cumberland Races (2-1)

Lisa Scales easily won her Democratic primary for Clerk of Court, as predicted.  She will face Republican Cindy Blackwell in the fall.  Both women are the definition of class.

Sitting Sheriff Ennis Wright dispatched is opposition without any trouble.  It was the most lopsided race on the board tonight.  He will face Republican Charlie Baxley in the fall.

I’m still kicking myself that I didn’t pick Baxley.  I underestimated his community ties and name recognition and overestimated the appeal and campaign of 2nd place finisher Carlton Sallie.  Baxley was my S.R.O. in high school.  Moral of the story:  don’t bet against a guy you know for a guy you don’t know.  The Republican voters in Cumberland sure didn’t.