Republican Joe Kent has conceded Washington state’s 3rd Congressional District race to Rep.-elect Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, following the election on Nov. 8.
Kent called his Democratic opponent on the phone Wednesday to concede and offer his congratulations on her victory, he said, as the Columbian reported.
The call came after several counties completed individual machine recounts, a request Kent made, showing he narrowly lost.
Republican Congressional candidate Joe Kent speaks at a campaign event on October 5, 2022 in Morton, Washington. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
“I promised during the campaign that I would accept the outcome of the election, now definitively determined as the recount has concluded,” Kent said in a statement. “This morning, I called my opponent to concede and offer my congratulations on her victory.”
2022 HOUSE MIDTERM ELECTION RESULTS
The recount results showed Gluesenkamp Perez received 50.14% of the vote to Kent’s 49.31%.
The recount showed only a minor difference from the Election Day results with her having gained nine votes and him five.
In his statement, Kent encouraged the Republican Party to adapt to increase voter turnout and that he would be “helping lead this change.”
Gluesenkamp Perez responded to the call with a post on Twitter Wednesday, where she wrote: “Democracy is alive and well in our corner of the country.”
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS DIVIDED IN SUPPORT OF FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP’S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
In 2020, the 3rd District voted for in favor of incumbent-President Donald Trump and was represented by Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler. However, she failed to win the primary in part due to her vote to impeach Trump.
A supporter carries lawn signs for Republican Congressional candidate Joe Kent at a campaign event on October 5, 2022 in Morton, Washington. Kent, who has the support of former President Donald Trump and in the primary defeated moderate incumbent Jaime Herrera Beutler, who voted for Trump’s impeachment, faces Democratic nominee Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in November for the state’s 3rd Congressional District seat. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
Gluesenkamp Perez, a co-owner of an auto shop with her husband in Portland, Oregon argued during the campaign that she was more in touch with voters than Kent.
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The Washington Secretary of State’s office is expected to recertify the election results later this week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.