Randall gets convincing GOP win in 13th District

RALEIGH -- Republican William “Bill” Randall won a convincing victory in Tuesday’s primary runoff, beating Raleigh businessman Bernie Reeves for the GOP nomination in the state’s 13th Congressional district.

Randall, a U.S. Navy retiree who lives in Wake Forest, will now face Democratic incumbent Rep. Brad Miller on the November ballot.

Though he moved to North Carolina just 19 months ago, Randall gained support in the primary by aligning himself with religious conservatives and the tea party movement. Though Randall outpaced Reeves by just 135 votes in last month’s four-way-party primary, Randall beat Reeves in Tuesday’s head-to-head runoff by 1,150 votes out of a total 6,428 ballots cast, according to complete but unofficial results.

From his victory party in a Creedmoor sports bar, Randall said he hoped he could count on Reeve’s support against Miller.

“I’d like to thank Bernie Reeves for running a very spirited campaign,” Randall said. “I hope we can count on his support in the fall.”

That may not be a sure thing.

Reached at his home shortly after the results were known, Reeves said had run a solid campaign based on traditional Republican values only to be beaten by a tea party tide.

“The people have spoken,” Reeves said. “It’s sort of like anarchy out there, where qualifications and credentials don’t matter.”