Advertisement

Rouzer concedes N.C. race to McIntyre

WILMINGTON, N.C., Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Republican challenger David Rouzer Wednesday conceded defeat to Democratic incumbent Mike McIntyre in North Carolina's 7th Congressional District.

"Now that the recount has been completed and the tally of votes is official, we can move forward satisfied that each vote was counted properly and accurately," Rouzer said in a statement posted on his campaign website. "I have called Congressman McIntyre to congratulate him on a hard-fought victory, and I wish him well as he joins a new Congress that will be dealing with very difficult issues facing our country."

Advertisement

Rouzer said he had received many calls from supporters urging him to run again in two years, but he said for now he would return his focus to his business and consulting work.

McIntyre, who was first elected to the House in 1996, responded to Rouzer's concession by knocking him for requesting a recount at taxpayer expense.

"While we respect the legal right for a recount, it is unfortunate that taxpayer dollars, time and resources will be spent on a process that has been closely monitored," McIntyre said in a statement on his campaign website. "For someone who has claimed fiscal responsibility, David Rouzer is asking taxpayers to pay for his pursuit of his own personal political ambition in a district he had drawn for himself."

Advertisement

The Wilmington Star-News reported the recount gave McIntyre a final advantage of 654 votes, well under the 1 percent threshold for a government-paid recount, but just one less than the original tally after the Nov. 6 election.

The newspaper said election officials estimated the recount would cost about $50,000.

The only U.S. House seat yet to be decided is in Louisiana's 3rd District where Republican Reps. Charles Boustany Jr. and Jeff Landry face each other in a Dec. 8 runoff.

Latest Headlines