Update -
The race for the 1st District House seat is officially over. Democrat Gary McDowell Friday conceded the race and called Republican Congressman Dan Benishek to congratulate him on his successful campaign and to wish him luck in his next term in congress.
Earlier in the week the vote totals gave Benishek a 1-percent lead as the final absentee, provisional and military ballots were left to be tallied. Friday evening, McDowell released a statement that said the new results were unlikely to change the outcome of the race in a significant way.
(Updated by Hans Ahlstrom)
SAULT STE. MARIE, MI-- Dan Benishek says he’s won the 1st District U.S. House race, but his opponent has not conceded.
The Associated Press says Benishek received 166,833 votes—or 48 percent, while Gary McDowell received 164,536—or 47 percent.
Benishek acknowledges it was a close race, but says the AP called it and the Escanaba Daily Press reported that McDowell conceded the Congressional race to the Republican incumbent.
But McDowell hasn’t given in yet. His campaign says he wants to make sure that all absentee, provisional, and military ballots are accounted for as canvassing boards in each county begin to meet.
The campaign is looking to resolve what it calls “discrepancies” between AP-reported numbers and tallying errors in some counties.
