After defeating opponent Kay Hagan by a narrow margin of 1.68 percentage points in Tuesday’s midterm elections, senator-elect Thom Tillis gave a press conference at Cornelius Town Hall Wednesday morning. Read more in our Election page. 

Updated Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014

Republican Thom Tillis of Cornelius continued his rapid rise through the political ranks Tuesday, unseating incumbent Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan by a narrow margin, 48.9 percent to 47.2 percent. Tillis’s election result came late in the evening, and tipped the balance, giving Republicans 51 seats and control of the Senate. Read the full story

Updated 7:24pm
As the polls prepared to close at Davidson Town Hall Tuesday night around 7:30, a line snaked through the atrium and out the front door. Poll workers estimated voters would have to wait for up to an hour after the polls closed to cast their ballots in races from US Senate at the top of the ballot to county commission and statehouse seats.

Election workers said everyone in line at 7:30 would be able to vote.

Voting began showing up at 6:30am, when a crowd of campaign workers greeted them at Davidson Town Hall.

Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
CorneliusNews.net

The local citizens group Widen I-77 is pressing its case against the NC Department of Transportation’s $655 million plan to widen I-77 using toll lanes. Leaders will make another public presentation at a meeting in Cornelius Thursday night, and they said this week they’ve hired an unnamed lawyer to explore whether they can sue to halt the project. Read the full story

Democrat Leonard Richardson and Republican Jim Puckett couldn’t have more different philosophies about government. Today on our Election 2014 page, we profile the two candidates for the Mecklenburg County Commission District 1 seat, which is open because of the retirement of four-term commissioner Karen Bentley.

• Richardson grew up poor in a foster home, and credits government services and public education with lifting him from poverty to a college degree and a career in teaching. He hopes the growing number of Democrats in the district will help him. READ MORE»
• Puckett, who wants to win back the seat he held from 2000 to 2006, has been an advocate for lower taxes and smaller government. He says “a healthy distrust of government is in my DNA.” READ MORE»

OTHER RACES

Meanwhile, see profiles of all the local candidates in the Nov. 4 election our our Election 2014 page. 

• Meet the county commission at-large candidates – profiles of 2 Republicans and 3 Democrats
• Meet 98th House District candidate Natasha Marcus
• Meet 98th House District candidate John Bradford
• Candidate forum Thursday at Huntersville Town Hall – see you there!
• Meet state Senate candidate Latrice McRae
• Meet state Senate candidate Jeff Tarte

EARLY VOTING ENDS SATURDAY

Early voting continues through this Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014, at 21 polling stations around Mecklenburg County. They include North County Regional Library in Huntersville and Cornelius Town Hall.

Other sites are in or near downtown Charlotte, including the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s main branch (310 N. Tryon St.) and Central Piedmont Community College (1325 E. 7th St.). Voting elsewhere will be at libraries and recreation centers.

CPCC’s Facilities Service building will be open for voting 8am to 7pm weekdays, 10am to 1pm Saturday.

Cornelius Town Hall, Huntersville library and all other sites will be open weekdays 10am to 7pm, and Saturday, Nov. 1, from 10 am to 1pm. Cornelius Town Hall is at 21445 Catawba Ave., Cornelius. North County Regional Library is at 16500 Holly Crest Lane, Huntersville.

Download a map and list of early voting sites, with hours, at MECKBOE.org.

The North Mecklenburg Republican Women are hosting an election celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at Northstone Country Club. The meeting will focus on thanking candidates and elected officials, as well as nominating a new board of officers for the 2015-16 term. Read the full story

See our Election page for profiles of local candidates up for election this fall. Early voting began this week. For a list of locations and times, see our Thursday news item, “Early voting begins at Cornelius, Huntersville sites.”

• Meet the county commission at-large candidates – profiles of 2 Republicans and 3 Democrats
• Meet 98th House District candidate Natasha Marcus
• Meet 98th House District candidate John Bradford
• Candidate forum Thursday at Huntersville Town Hall – see you there!
• Meet state Senate candidate Latrice McRae
• Meet state Senate candidate Jeff Tarte

Still to come, profiles of District 1 County Commission candidates Jim Puckett (R) and Leonard Richardson (D)

SEE our ELECTIONS page

Early voting begins today, Thursday, Oct. 23, and continues through Nov. 1 at 21 polling stations around Mecklenburg County. They include North County Regional Library in Huntersville and Cornelius Town Hall, which will be open 10am to 7pm today. Read the full story