Democrat Bob Casey finally concedes Senate election to McCormick after trying to count illegal votes in Pennsylvania

The contentious campaign for one of Pennsylvania's seats in the U.S. Senate is finally over after Democratic incumbent Bob Casey called Republican challenger Dave McCormick to concede.

Republicans accused election officials in several Pennsylvania counties of trying to subvert the election by illegally counting votes in the recount. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court sided with Republicans, but some officials indicated that they would ignore the ruling and continue.

'When a Pennsylvanian takes the time to cast a legal vote, often waiting in long lines and taking time away from their work and family, they deserve to know that their vote will count. That’s democracy.'

On Thursday, 16 days since Election Day, Casey conceded the election.

"I just called Dave McCormick to congratulate him on his election to represent Pennsylvania in the United States Senate. As the first count of ballots is completed, Pennsylvanians can move forward with the knowledge that their voices were heard, whether their vote was the first to be counted or the last," he said in a video posted to social media.

McCormick issued a brief response.

"Senator Bob Casey dedicated his career to bettering our commonwealth. Dina and I want to extend our sincere gratitude to Senator Casey, Terese, and their family for their decades of service, hard work, and personal sacrifice," he said.

The official count of votes gave McCormick a lead of about 16,000 votes over Casey, which added up to a margin of just under .5%. That narrowly fell within the cut-off point for a recount, though critics said it was unlikely to overturn the official results given historical trends.

"When a Pennsylvanian takes the time to cast a legal vote, often waiting in long lines and taking time away from their work and family, they deserve to know that their vote will count. That’s democracy," Casey concluded.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee had called Casey's attorney in the matter a "scumbag" as the controversy continued.

The seat will give Republicans a 53-47 majority in the next session of the U.S. Senate.

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