Jim Black, the scandal-prone speaker of the North Carolina House, will doubtless face a recount after winning reelection by -- get this --
7 votes.
That's votes, not percent.
Despite his personal difficulties, Black didn't hurt his party Democrats as much as some expected. In fact, Democrats gained in both the House and Senate.
Alan Greenblatt is the editor of Governing. He can be found on Twitter at @AlanGreenblatt.