Update: 6:15 p.m. Attorney General-elect Mark Herring made the following statement today after amassing an insurmountable lead in the recount, and Senator Obenshain conceding the election.
“I want to thank the hundreds of election officials and hundreds of volunteers, both Republicans and Democrats, who have presided over a massive recount of Virginia’s vote. They’ve put in long hours and worked patiently to provide as much integrity to this process as possible.
“I want thank Virginia’s voters for making their voices heard in this historic election. This margin may not turn out to be the slimmest in history—we’ve picked up a number of votes along the way here—but I still have folks calling me ‘Landslide Herring.’ I’m perfectly happy with that.
“This was an extraordinarily close election. I want to reassure everyone that, as I said on the campaign trail, I will wake up every day to fight for justice, equality, and opportunity for all Virginians.
“I want to thank Senator Obenshain for his gracious phone call to me this afternoon. We talked about how much our families have gone through in this campaign, and we wished each other happy holidays. I look forward to continuing to work with him and his colleagues here in Richmond on the great challenges we face going forward.
“I look forward to a cooperative transition with Attorney General Cuccinelli. Our teams have been in contact, and I anticipate that will continue smoothly.
“I’m looking forward to working with Governor-elect McAuliffe, Lieutenant Governor-elect Northam, and their teams. We’ve got our work cut out for us and I think we’re ready to hit the ground running.
Lastly, I want to thank my tireless—and not yet rested—campaign team. This is a bit delayed. But for us, it’s just as sweet and feels great.”
Update: 4:25 p.m. Republican Mark Obenshain has formally conceded the Virginia attorney-general race.
“It’s apparent that our campaign is going to come up a few votes short,” Obenshain said at an afternoon news conference in Richmond after calling Democrat Mark Herring to concede and offer his support.
Original Report: 1:16 p.m. The Washington Post is reporting that Republican Mark Obenshain will concede the race for attorney general to Democrat Mark Herring later today.
The report cited two unnamed people familiar with the decision, which comes on the heels of news that Herring has added more than 700 votes to his lead in the race since the statewide recount began on Tuesday.
Herring was certified on Nov. 25 by the State Board of Elections as the winner of the tight race by 165 votes. Reports have that lead growing to more than 800 votes, a margin that is looking increasingly difficult for Obenshain to overcome in a potential election contest.
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