RICHMOND, Va. — One Virginia's most controversial political figures ousted in Tuesday's election is vowing to challenge the results of her party's primary.
Republican Sen. Amanda Chase, a right-wing firebrand who has served in the Senate since 2016 and embraced falsehoods about the 2020 presidential election, was edged out by Glen Sturtevant, a lawyer and former senator seeking a political comeback in the red-leaning suburban Richmond district, by just under 350 votes.
Chase said in a statement Wednesday evening with the heading "We Will Not Surrender" that she plans to challenge the early absentee ballots and is "seeking legal counsel to address her concerns."
The lawmaker claims the "voting computers" where early voting took place were not in compliance with state law.
"We're not asking for a recount. A recount won't correct the problem," Chase wrote. "We will never know for sure if there were bad actors in the early voting certification process. We're asking for those who acted illegally to be held accountable for their unethical actions during early voting."
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Chase pledged Tuesday night that she would not concede until she was "confident that the official vote count was correct and any election day concerns of voters were resolved."
To contest the primary, Chase will have to bring a case and evidence before a panel of three judges in Chesterfield, according to state law.
Additionally, it appears the procedure Chase is claiming is unethical is the protocol election officers are required to follow, according to state law.
“Before the final testing of voting or counting machines for any election, the general registrar shall mail written notice. . . (ii) in a primary election, to the chairman of the local committee of the political party holding the primary,” the code states.
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