Race for Coble’s seat heads to runoff

Rockingham County District Attorney Phil Berger, Jr. (R) and pastor Mark Walker (R) are heading to a runoff for retiring Rep. Howard Coble’s (R-N.C.) seat after no candidate reached 40 percent of the vote in the nine-candidate GOP primary.

{mosads}The Associated Press has called the race. Berger had 34 percent of the vote to Walker’s 25 percent with 97 percent of precincts reporting.

Berger, the son of North Carolina Senate Majority Leader Phil Berger, Sr. (R), has the endorsement of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), while Walker, a local Baptist minister, will face off once again in mid-July.

The eventual winner will be the heavy favorite for the seat in a district former presidential nominee Mitt Romney (R) won by a 17-point margin two years ago.