RALEIGH — Republican challenger Erin Paré won against Democratic incumbent Sydney Batch in Wake County’s N.C. House District 37, 50% to 47%. The vote totals were 34,782 for Pare to 32,533 for Batch.
Pare is a small business owner in southern Wake County. Batch, a Raleigh divorce attorney, has held the seat since defeating a Republican incumbent in 2018.
Absentee ballots in North Carolina will continue to be accepted through Nov. 12 at 5 p.m.
Paré’s campaign issued the following statement around 11:30 p.m. on election night:
After a hard-fought campaign, I am humbled to have been elected as the next Representative for House District 37. Thank you so much for your vote and your confidence in me.
I want to congratulate my opponent, Rep. Sydney Batch, for an impressive campaign. Now it’s time to come together as a community and achieve a better future for southern Wake.
Mostly, I want to thank the many volunteers who made this possible – we built a strong team, won a 3-way primary against two great Republicans, then their efforts on the ground won the day today. So many amazing people knocked doors, made calls, sent texts and postcards, etc – they were the difference.
Finally, I want to thank my husband Wayne and my kids – they not only put up with my running for office, they actually were my campaign staff and carried me on their shoulders. I am so blessed.
But the biggest thank you goes to the voters of HD37. It is an incredible honor to accept their decision and I will work hard every day to justify their faith in me. I will be a representative of every one of them – I’ll work to get our small businesses going again post Covid, I’ll put the families across the district first and ensure their safety and prosperity, and I’ll be present in the district all the time.
I look forward to taking on this next challenge, and truly embrace the opportunity to represent District 37 in the North Carolina General Assembly next year.
-Erin Paré
