Ahead of the March 3 election, one North Carolina Senate Republican primary is shaping up to be one of the most heated races in recent state history. In N.C. District 26, which comprises rural areas of the Piedmont Triad as well as parts of Greensboro, Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page is challenging State Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger. The contest could upend the power structure of the state Republican party.
Polls show Berger, who’s served in the Senate since 2000, trailing Page, who’s served as sheriff since 1998, by a remarkable 30 points in their shared home county.
The race has devolved into an ugly intra-party fight marked by negative ad campaigns backed by millions in spending from the Republican State Leadership Committee and Political Action Committees. These organizations, some of which are not required to disclose their donors to the public, fan the flame of an already contentious primary.
In 2025 alone, the N.C. True Conservatives PAC and American Conservative Fund put over $2.8 million towards promotional materials supporting Berger, according to State Board of Elections records. The sports wagering company DraftKings is a significant donor to the latter organization; the Berger-led Senate legalized sports betting in 2024.
The pro-Berger advertisements criticize Sheriff Page for his support of the N.C. House Republicans’ proposed budget, which Berger argues would inhibit future income tax cuts. N.C. is the only state that does not currently have a budget; Gov. Josh Stein has attributed this failure to state Republican leaders.
Pro-Berger advertisements have also criticized Page’s oversight of the Rockingham County Jail, which the state is currently investigating due to 12 inmate deaths over the past five years. Page also allegedly illegally transferred funds from jail vending machines into his own bank account, according to The Assembly.
While Berger outmatched Page handily in funding last year – $1.58 million to $29,000 – Page holds strong in the race, supported by community ties and name recognition in Rockingham County.
“He’s building off relationships from several decades in law enforcement, getting to know people on a one-on-one basis. I think those relationships are clearly paying off,” political consultant Patrick Sebastian said. Sebastian works for Piedmont Accountability Coalition, which has funded anti-Berger advertisements.
“This will undoubtedly be a national record for a legislative primary, for the amount of outside money that’s come in to support an incumbent,” he said.
Berger and Page’s intra-party vitriol reflects a deeper conflict within North Carolina’s Republican Party, much of which is rooted in disagreements over the state’s failed budget negotiations. As election day approaches on March 3, voters will decide between long-term leadership and a grassroots challenger, shaping the future of conservative politics in North Carolina.
