LGBT groups who supported Democrat Roy Cooper’s bid for governor of North Carolina are declaring victory on his behalf after Cooper’s lead over Gov. But the Republican incumbent, Pat McCrory, trailing by thousands of votes in the as-yet-unfinished tally, has refused to concede, as he and his allies charge that the election was marred by numerous irregularities. Pat McCrory is trailing Attorney General Roy Cooper in the gubernatorial race by over 10,000 votes, the threshold for a recount, according to the State Board of Elections website. Indeed, McCrory won a small victory Wednesday -- keeping his fading hopes for re-election alive -- when the Republican-controlled North Carolina State Board of Elections Wednesday ordered a machine recount of more than 90,000 ballots in Durham County. Last week, they parked a U-Haul truck in front of the governor’s mansion and waved moving boxes adorned with the face of Ray Charles as they sang, “Hit the Road, Pat.” On Monday evening, hundreds gathered at the state Capitol, shouting, “No stealing our election!”

The North Carolina imbroglio is so complicated, with so many moving pieces, that a spokesman for the State Board of Elections could not say Tuesday when it might be resolved.
The recount in North Carolina continues amid pressure towards Republican candidate Pat McCrory to accept his defeat by Democratic nominee Roy Cooper.