Baptist minister wins GOP nod for open NC House seat after contentious race
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A harsh Republican Party fight for a shot at an open North Carolina congressional seat goes to Mark Walker.
GOP voters in the district that runs along the Virginia border from Mount Airy to north of Raleigh picked Baptist minister Walker of Greensboro over Phil Berger Jr. of Eden. Berger is the Rockingham County district attorney and son of powerful state Senate leader Phil Berger.
Walker won 56 percent of the vote in unofficial returns and now advances to face Democrat and retired University of North Carolina system administrator Laura Fjeld in November.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The winner will replace 30-year GOP incumbent Howard Coble in the heavily Republican 6th Congressional District.
Tuesday's Republican primary runoff featured Walker and Berger trading accusations of cronyism, lying, and incompetence.