Free Republic

Democratic Sen. Edd Houck announced Thursday he will not request a recount and conceded his race to Republican challenger Bryce Reeves, giving the GOP complete control of government in Richmond. Houck, a seven-term incumbent from Spotsylvania, was 86 votes behind Reeves on election night Tuesday, but the gap grew to 222 after localities tallied provisional ballots. The 0.5 percent difference in 45,077 votes was still close enough for Houck to ask for a recount, but he said he would decline that opportunity during a press conference Thursday. Reeves' victory gives the GOP a two-seat gain in the Senate and forces...

Democrats still held out hope that Sen. R. Edward Houck (D-Spotsylvania) could win his race against Republican Bryce Reeves, as local elections officials met Wednesday to count provisional ballots and review calculations and tapes from voting machines and other records for errors. But after such an initial canvas, Reeves’s lead actually grew — from an 86-vote margin to 224 votes. “The race for this seat remains too close to call,” said Craig Bieber, Houck’s campaign manager. “There were several significant discrepancies during Tuesday night’s tabulation that deserve further attention during the canvassing and certification process.” At one point, the state...

University of Virginia political prognosticator Larry J. Sabato isn’t optimistic about the chances of incumbent Democrat Edd Houck overcoming Republican challenger Bryce Reeves in the presumed recount in the race for the 17th State Senate District. Houck finished election night the unofficial loser, down by 86 votes in a race that saw 44,986 votes cast in all, according to the Virginia State Board of Elections. “In my experience 86 votes are tough to find when you’re looking for them,” Sabato said this morning, though he emphasized it’s not impossible they’ll turn up. Control of the Virginia State Senate appears to...