DAYLE-LOCKE, NP -- He was considered a long-shot, even by his own party.
But Conservative gubernatorial candidate Barry Newkirk has pulled off an upset win in New Portsmouth's governor's race.
Unofficial results show Newkirk slightly edging out incumbent NAT Gov. Welma Sidley by a 49.64% to 49.34% margin, respectively.
It's a difference of about 4,000 votes out of more than 1.1 million cast.
The results seemed to surprise Newkirk himself.
Appearing at his election night party at a lodge in the western suburbs of Dayle-Locke, Newkirk seemed genuinely astonished when he saw TV networks calling the race in his favor.
"They said we couldn't do it. The Nationalists, the Conservative Party establishment, the media. And look what we did. We proved them wrong. We showed them that the people choose the governor, not big media or party bigwigs," Newkirk said to cheering supporters.
"This election is about the people."
Equally surprised by the results were Welma Sidley, the incumbent, and her campaign staff.
Polls had shown the race narrowing in recent weeks leading up to election day, but Sidley still had a lead.
The general consensus among political pundits and insiders was Sidley would eek out a win.
"I'm a little in shock, because this is the first election I've ever lost in my career, so it's a little shocking," said Sidley, at a dinner club in downtown Dayle-Locke.
Sidley was joined on stage by Sen. Jean Larae Dowd, who threw her arm around the governor and at times gently squeezed Sidley to show her support.
"But clearly the people of New Portsmouth have spoken, and I accept their verdict," Sidley said.
The former attorney general-turned-governor congratulated Newkirk and said she would work for a smooth transition.
Newkirk's bombshell win had many Nationalists and even many Conservatives concerned that another Conservative provocateur could also win in New Portsmouth.
But Nadine Pietrasaelis, who is known for her flaming rhetoric and provocative policies, came up short in a rematch against NAT Jean Larae Dowd.
Down ended the night with almost 53% compared to Pietrasaelis' 46 percent, respectively.
It was the third race between the two women. They previously faced off in 2010, when Pietrasaelis narrowly won.
Pietrasaelis then lost to Dowd in 2016; the former was hoping to win her seat back this go-round.
At her election night party in Grantham in southern New Portsmouth, Pietrasaelis questioned the validity of election results and said her legal team would 'review everything related to this questionable election.'
Dowd thanked New Portsmouth voters for rejecting Pietrasaelis' 'ugly politics.'
"Tonight, Nadine Pietrasaelis and the hard-right wanted you to vote her back into office, so she can continue her ugly politics, her vile policies, and her molotov-cocktail-throwing style of government. But thank God the voters of New Portsmouth saw through that nonsense and rejected hate. I thank each New Portsmouthian who voted for me, and I pledge to you now that I will do everything I can to stand up for our state and to reject the politics of hate and division," said Dowd.
Newkirk is also known for his provocative comments and fringe policies.
He's previously stated he wants to eliminate the state department of education, as well as the department of revenue and department of public parks, although he walked back those comments during the campaign.
He campaigned heavily on lower taxes, on reining in the state budget, and he repeatedly attacked Sidley for being a life-long politician.
"Nationalists have held the governor's office in this state for 10 years now, and what do we have to show for it?" he asked attendees at a campaign stop in Bridgeman County last week.
"Welma Sidley is a life-long, career politician who will say and do anything to get elected. And she toes the party line," he continued.
"I am not a career politician. I have worked in the private sector. I work in the private sector currently. I know how to run a business and more importantly, I believe in limited government. The government shouldn't be in your wallet, it shouldn't be in your bedroom, and it sure as hell shouldn't shut down your business or tell you how to educate your kids," he said.
Anger surrounding COVID-19 shutdowns was a leading piece of Newkirk's campaign, as well as libertarian policies and anti-public school sentiment.
Sidley responded by largely dismissing Newkirk as a fringe extremist with little chance of winning.
That dismissal and complacency appears to have been a mistake, Nationalist political operatives say.
"I think the Sidley campaign did not take Barry Newkirk seriously. They thought he was too extreme, too far to the right, too eccentric to win, but he did. And that proves that you can't take anything for granted. You need to always campaign like you're behind in the polls," said Jared Glesner, who has worked on multiple NAT state-wide campaigns in the past, but was not involved in any campaigns this election season.
Newkirk will become the state's fifth governor, the second Conservative, and his running mate Jane Reems will be the second female lieutenant governor.
Sidley is the second female governor, the first female Nationalist, and the second governor to serve only one term.
It's unclear if her political future will include another run for governor.
Since New Portsmouth is the only state that elects its governor every two years, it would only be a short sabbatical for Sidley, should she choose to run for governor in 2024.
"She may run again. She has a strong record, she was popular at one point. And the next election is only two years away, the campaign usually begins a year before election day, so really she'd only have to wait a year and then she could jump back in," said Glesner. "But that's up to her and what she wants and I suspect what her family wants, as well as the state party."
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