RICHMOND, Va - Incumbent Virginia Senator Mark Warner (D - Virginia) declared victory late Tuesday night in his close election with Republican challenger Ed Gillespie. Gillespie, however, had not yetconceded the race.
With more than 99.88 percent of the 2.1 million ballots counted, Warner led Gillespie by 16,007 votes[Find a breakdown of the statewide numbers here].
If Warner's margin of victory remained less than 1 percent on November 24, when election results are set to be certified, Gillespie could request a recount.
Under Virginia law, recounts are not automatic.
Local electoral board members met Wednesday to canvass voting rolls and look for inaccuracies.
The Gillespie camp would not say if it planned to pursue a recount once the election was certified. Gillespie spokespeople said they would analyze the numbers and monitor the canvassing process.
"I think today, there a lot of regrets in Republican circles that they didn't come in and put up a lot more money in the Gillespie campaign," CBS 6 political analyst Dr. Bob Holsworth said.
According to numbers published by the Virginia Public Access Project, the Warner campaign outspent his opponent by nearly a 2-1 margin.
Here is a breakdown of how each major locality in our region voted in the Senate race, according to unofficial results from the State Board of Elections.
Click for detailed Richmond election results
Richmond
- Mark Warner (D) - 75 percent; 37, 875 votes
- Ed Gillespie (R) - 21 percent; 10,683 votes
Chesterfield County
- Mark Warner (D) - 44 percent; 44,460 votes
- Ed Gillespie (R) - 53 percent; 53,271 votes
Henrico County
- Mark Warner (D) - 55 percent; 53,901 votes
- Ed Gillespie (R) - 42 percent; 41,076 votes
Hanover County
- Mark Warner (D) - 32 percent; 12,421 votes
- Ed Gillespie (R) - 65 percent; 24,985 votes
Dr. Holsworth said these trends show just how competitive the Richmond region is in statewide elections.
"What is also shows is the dramatic shift that's occurred in Henrico and Chesterfield County over the past 20 years," Holsworth said.
Once canvassing is complete, local electoral boards have until Tuesday of next week to submit their final results to the State Board of Elections. Those results will by certified on November 24, officials said.
