North Carolina governor’s race goes to overtime

North Carolina’s embattled Republican Gov. Pat McCrory faces a possible ouster in a race that is still too close to call. Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper leads by fewer than 5,000 votes and claimed victory Tuesday night, but McCrory told supporters he had not finished fighting, noting election officials still must count provisional ballots. “We’re going to fight for every vote,” McCrory said. The governor’s race became an unofficial referendum on North Carolina’s controversial “bathroom bill” that requires men and women to use the restrooms and locker rooms that correspond with the sex noted on their birth certificates. McCrory’s support for the legislation thrust him into the national spotlight and made North Carolina the target of boycotts and smear campaigns by LGBT groups.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.