ALBUQUERQUE, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Absentee ballots reported early Wednesday gave Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., a victory over Democrat state Sen. Richard Romero in New Mexico's 1st Congressional District.
Although Romero had led by about 3,000 votes late Tuesday night, the absentee ballots reported from the Albuquerque area heavily favored the Republican incumbent seeking a second full term. She received about 30,000 additional votes to Romero's 13,000.
Early Wednesday with 98 percent of the vote counted, Wilson led Romero 57 to 43 percent in unofficial returns.
Wilson, a former National Security Council aide, had delivered a victory speech late Tuesday night based her campaign's own projections of a victory.
"Now it's time to go back to work for our families to make sure there is a great public school in every neighborhood for every kid to want to attend," she said. "We want to make sure we've got great jobs for our kids to take when they graduate from school so they don't have to leave New Mexico in order to get a good wage."
Romero, however, refused to concede at the time, saying he wanted to see more votes.
The New Mexico Senate president pro tem said he had campaigned for issues "important to people" like Social Security, prescription drugs, and education and he wasn't giving up so easily.
