Democratic Sen. Warner clings to narrow lead in Virginia

last updated 8 January 2015

With 99 percent of the vote counted, the race between incumbent Senator Mark Warner (D) and challenger Ed Gillespie (R) is still too close to call.

While Warner claimed victory just after midnight, his slim lead — he's up by just 12,000 votes of over 2 million that were cast, or less than one percent — Gillespie may be able to request a recount. The tight race is surprising, as Warner had been considered "one of the most secure Democratic incumbents in the country," reports The New York Times.

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"Obviously we are going to accept whatever is the final outcome, but I owe it to the voters of Virginia, owe it to all of you to make sure that the outcome is final," Gillespie said.

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Samantha Rollins is TheWeek.com's news editor. She has previously worked for The New York Times and TIME and is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.