Carter, Hamby split voters

He leads by a slim margin; it's down to provisional ballots

By: Bertrand M. Gutiérrez | JOURNAL REPORTER
Published: May 07, 2008

One candidate declared victory but the other didn't concede defeat last night in the Democratic primary for the 5th Congressional District, with preliminary election results showing a razor-thin lead for retired teacher Roy Carter.

He led Statesville businesswoman Diane Hamby 50.34 percent to 49.66 percent, with all 12 counties in the district reporting. The margin by vote was 39,883 for Carter to 39,352 for Hamby, a difference of 531 votes.

But election officials still must count provisional ballots, said Rob Coffman, the director of the Forsyth County Board of Elections. And that won't happen until Tuesday.

Hamby says she wants to do the right thing, either way.

"I don't want to disappoint anyone who wanted me to be their candidate," she said.

For his part, Carter said that he didn't think that the provisional ballots would not take away his lead. And he said he is looking forward to running against U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, the two-term Republican incumbent who represents Northwest North Carolina.

"The people of the 5th District have spoken, and I am confident that I have won the race,'' he said.

Hamby got more support from voters in Forsyth, Rockingham, Iredell, Yadkin and Rowan counties. And Carter got more support in Wilkes, Watauga, Alleghany, Stokes, Surry, Alexander, and Ashe counties, according to the State Board of Elections.

Carter showed during the primary campaign that he can raise money.

Donors sent him more than $65,000 this election cycle through the end of April, according to Carter's latest campaign filings with the Federal Election Commission.

And a possible matchup between Carter and Foxx has gotten attention in Washington.

The Carter campaign is making plans to have a joint fundraiser with U.S. Rep Heath Shuler, D-11th. Shuler's spokesman, Andrew Waylin, said that the congressman, who represents 15 of the westernmost counties, is scheduled to have a fundraiser with Carter next week.

Hamby raised less than $10,000 during her campaign. A former member of the Iredell County Board of Commissioners, Hamby had said that her political experience would strengthen her campaign.

"It's not my first election," she said. "Me and my campaign manager thought it would be close all along."

■ Bertrand M. Gutierrez can be reached at 727-7283 or at bgutierrez@wsjournal.com.