SAN ANTONIO – Democratic challenger Gina Ortiz Jones on Monday conceded defeat in her quest to unseat Republican incumbent Will Hurd in the U.S. Rep. District 23 race.
"Our campaign was based on the belief that everyone is equal -- equally deserving to be heard at the ballot box and served in our communities. We worked hard to make this a reality, understanding this is the only path toward the more perfect union that our founders envisioned.
Recommended Videos
"While we came up short this time, we ran a race of which we can be proud. I remain committed to serving my community and country, and I wish Will Hurd the courage to fight for TX-23 in the way in which our district deserves," Ortiz Jones said in a statement.
Ortiz Jones' concession comes nearly two weeks after the Nov. 6 election, which was too close to call.
It appeared that Ortiz Jones was resigned to having lost the election after The Associated Press called the race for Hurd late on election night.
But at 12:49 a.m. Nov. 7, the AP withdrew its call for the race, saying higher-than-anticipated votes came in for the Democrat in Medina County. About two hours later, the results showed Ortiz Jones winning by 282 votes, but that changed about an hour later, giving Hurd the lead again by 689 votes.
Despite repeated requests from Hurd to concede, Ortiz Jones refused to do so, wanting all provisional ballots, military or overseas ballots to be counted.
She also filed a court motion to force the Bexar County election administrator to release the list of provisional voters, but a judge denied her request.
Ortiz Jones' camp also challenged the counting of the Medina County ballots, which were canvassed Monday, which ultimately led the Democratic to concede.
According to the Secretary of State website Monday, Hurd received 102,903 votes compared to 101,753 for Ortiz Jones.
Hurd released the following statement, thanking Ortiz Jones and looking forward to his next term.
"I want to thank my opponent and her supporters for engaging in the democratic process. To thrive, our democracy needs a vigorous competition of ideas, and whether you voted for me or not, I will need your help.
"I also want to thank my family, friends and staff for all their help and support. To the residents of TX-23, thank you for giving me something that hasn't happened in over a decade, the privilege of representing you for a third term. I will continue fighting for you every day in Congress," he said.