"Recounts, they don't happen that often" -- but it could happen in the 6th Congressional District race
WISCONSIN (WITI) -- There is still no winner in the 6th Congressional District primary race. State Senator Glenn Grothman is declaring victory in the four-way race, but State Senator Job Leibham isn't conceding.
The Associated Press called the race for Grothman on Tuesday night -- but "uncalled" it on Wednesday -- after more votes came in for Leibham and the margin shrank.
Slightly more than 200 votes separate Grothman and Leibham.
The close margin means a recount could come soon.
"By about 10 o'clock they thought that it was clear that State Senator Grothman was going to win," UW-Milwaukee Professor of Governmental Affairs Mordecai Lee said.
It looked like a clear victory in the 6th Congressional District race, but it turned out to be anything but!
"I guess this is kind of a lesson of don't call it unless you're absolutely, positively sure. It was only the late reporting precincts and the hand-counting of absentee ballots that really closed it up," Lee said.
An unofficial tally shows that just 215 votes separates Grothman and Leibham.
On Wednesday, Grothman was optimistic he would remain the winner of the race -- issuing the following statement:
“I’m honored that the voters chose me as the Republican nominee for the 6th Congressional District. I’m confident that the lead we have today will hold strong and I look forward to a speedy certification of the results, a robust general election campaign and another victory on November 4.”
Leibham isn't giving up -- saying: "We need to allow the election officials to finish counting and double-checking."
Lee says a recount is almost inevitable.
"It always adds certainty so that no one can claim that an election was blown or that some clerk made a mistake," Lee said.
"Recounts, they don't happen that often," Wisconsin Government Accountability Board spokesman Reid Magney said.
The G.A.B. says a recount could happen as soon as next week.
"We might have a winner by a hundred voters or even 50 voters," Magney said.
It's proof that every vote is important.
"Your vote counts. Democracy still matters," Magney said.
The losing candidate would have to request a recount. If the margin between the two candidates is less than half a percent, taxpayers would foot the bill for the recount.
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