Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) has officially conceded the state's gubernatorial election.
Democrat Andy Beshear, Kentucky's attorney general, declared victory in last week's race while leading Bevin by about 5,000 votes, but Bevin didn't concede defeat and requested a recanvass. That recanvass began on Thursday, CNN reports.
In a news conference Thursday, Bevin said that it's now clear "the actual number is going to fluctuate somewhat, but not so significantly that it's going to change the outcome of this election."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"We're going to have a change in the governorship based on the vote of the people, and what I want is to see the absolute best for Kentucky," he also said. "I'm not going to contest these numbers that have come in."
Bevin had been facing calls from Republicans in the state to concede, with Rep. Jason Nemes (R-Ky.) telling the Lexington Herald Leader it's the "best thing to do."
President Trump endorsed Bevin and held a rally in support of him the day before the election, telling supporters that if Bevin lost, this would send "a really bad message."
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.