North Carolina's "Bathroom Bill" Governor is Apparently Defeated

[itsApril]

McCrory was in over his head, and voters knew it
The Charlotte Observer
NOVEMBER 9, 2016 1:21 AM

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/editorials/article113569068.html

Jill Knight News & Observer

"Republican Pat McCrory sailed into the governor's mansion in 2012 as a highly popular figure, beating his Democratic opponent by 11 points after winning 10 local elections in Charlotte over some 20 years. In just one term, he burned through all that goodwill and now appears on the verge of being a one-term governor.

"At 1 a.m. Wednesday, he trailed Democrat Roy Cooper by about 3,700 votes, or about 0.08 percent, with two precincts still out. He should and almost certainly will request a recount.

"If the current results stand, it is a stark repudiation of McCrory and his administration. As the incumbent, running in a state with a strong economy and that gave Republican Donald Trump a fairly easy victory, McCrory could have been expected to win by eight points or more. Instead, voters dumped him even as they voted for other Republicans above and below him on the ballot."

[itsApril]

More information:  As of 11/9/2016, 3:17 PM, further returns (over 99% have been counted) have expanded Cooper's lead over McCrory from 3,700 votes to 4,772 votes.

McCrory was the moving force behind North Carolina's infamous House Bill 2, which stripped LGBT people of their anti-discrimination rights under state law.  North Carolina's Attorney General Roy Cooper declared he would not defend HB2 in court because the law was unconstitutional.  Cooper ran against McCrory and and apparently has defeated him.

The Republican legislators who passed HB2 remain in control of the North Carolina legislature, so the HB2 battle is not over.  But it's good-bye to McCrory . . .

[SadieBlake]

It's a bit of good news among the bad news. NC has seen that its image has been seriously tarnished and in a way that cost real $ in lost business to the state.

Ultimately that is the cost of discrimination. Organizations that are blind to prejudice fare better in the market. Transexuals and other trans people are just as good at what we do in life as cis gender people. The same applies to women, gay, Islam, minorities, to name a few classes that are routinely targets for economic and social discrimination.

So what do we do? Many work for and move to places that don't discriminate. Many others labor on in their communities and effect change locally but those who leave represent a huge brain drain on the states, nations and companies that discriminate. Ultimately that is the cycle that lifts people from oppression to inclusion.

It's not an easy path but it's one that works well in the US and which at our best is the engine of both economic and social justice.

[RobynD]

That was a bright spot for sure. I watched it closely. McCory can now go elsewhere.

The other very good thing is corporations have shown themselves to be on our side and can put conservative politicians under big pressure, money wise.