Republican challenger calls for recount in unresolved House race
(CNN) – In the final House race considered too close to call, Republican David Rouzer has asked for a recount in North Carolina's 7th Congressional District, where he trails the eight-term incumbent, Democratic Rep. Mike McIntyre, by a small margin.
"In a race this close, accidental human error could easily change the outcome," he said in a statement. "It is important to ensure that every legal vote cast is properly and accurately counted."
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As of Tuesday, the website for North Carolina's Board of Elections showed McIntyre with 168,697 votes and Rouzer with 168,042–a razor thin margin of 655 votes or .2% of the total vote.
In his statement, Rouzer said he based his decision to request a recount on an "irregularity" reported in Bladen County.
Ray Britt, a Republican board member of the county's Board of Elections, said a technical problem with a cartridge in one precinct caused a set of votes to be counted twice. After the problem was fixed, he said, the board was able to double back and report the correct tabulation. After the correction, the results showed McIntyre had a lead but the margin had narrowed.
However, he said the county was ordered by the state Monday morning to do the recount along with all other counties.
"We have no problem with that because that's what you do" when the race is so close, Britt said.
Despite facing a newly-drawn district that appeared to have been created to end his career, McIntyre showed strong signs of life in the race and ran a competitive race in the district that skews heavily Republican. He led in fundraising over Rouzer, a state senator, and kept even with ad spending by pro-Republican outside groups and the national Republican Party. Rouzer, however, stayed off the airwaves.
Republican Rep. Allen West became the latest candidate to concede an unresolved House race when he announced Tuesday morning he would not seek further action after a recount revealed Democrat Patrick Murphy had a narrow lead over West in Florida's 18th Congressional District.
So far Democrats have made a net gain of seven seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. As of now, the new balance of power comes to 234 Republicans and 200 Democrats.
The GOP number includes a race in Louisiana that heads to a December 8 run-off election. However, the race is between two Republicans, guaranteeing a win for the GOP.
- CNN's Ashley Killough, Robert Yoon and Allison Brennan contributed to this report.
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A Republican that can't accept he might have lost and wants a recount.....now where have I heard this before???
Speaking at the Republican Invention of a New Reality probably didn't help. Almost all of the people who spoke at that event and were up for election this year LOST.
Same ole, same ole...just a different day.
With 655 votes difference, I could understand asking for a recount.
For local elections, I think if it's under 1000, then a recount could be considered legitimate due to human error. Other than that, it's just sour grapes by the candidate.
Hope the recount shows his loss by a bigger margin............... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...............
the repos are the ones that redrew the lines now they are complaining? The republicaan party has become the laughing stock of the country . we no longer take them seriously or look to their leadership. they have become a group of clowns and congress is their circus. Maybe the president brainwashed the voters thats why the guy lost? Or maybe it was the gifts? Yeah thats it must have been the gifts. git over it you lost
Facts don't Lie
A Republican that can't accept he might have lost and wants a recount.....now where have I heard this before???
------------------–
What's more amazing is that the district was gerrymandered, the election supervisors are Republicans, and they still cannot believe results fof some "simple math".
Gerrymandering wasn't enough to help Rouzer. Maybe he needed a little more voter suppression.
Because 0.2 percent is very close, Rouzer has the right to ask for a recount. In some places a margin of less than 0.5% will trigger an automatic recount.
make sure they look for ballots cast by illegal voters, look for "misplaced" boxes of ballots, etc. the massive voter fraud encouraged and supported by democrats is meant to take close races like this. they have no interest in honest elections.
It is a good thing, especially if the republican loses.
Obama won the election by 3 million votes. And for US reps...the democrats actually got more votes!...but the districts were gerrymandered to still allow more GOP to win. So the GOP kept the house...despite not winning as many votes.
A shame that the minority will again keep this country back. ...or at least try to do so.
Rouzer needs to take his seat right next to Allan West, outside the House, West has a seat warmed up for him too.
'Despite facing a newly-drawn district that appeared to have been created to end his career, McIntyre showed strong signs of life in the race and ran a competitive race in the district that skews heavily Republican.'
They cant even win when they redraw the lines to all but ensure it? Thats a serious kick in the teeth there.
So where are all the people that were claiming the 2010 results were just a sign of things to come in 2012?
'just sayin
make sure they look for ballots cast by illegal voters, look for "misplaced" boxes of ballots, etc. the massive voter fraud encouraged and supported by democrats is meant to take close races like this. they have no interest in honest elections.'
awww, another claim of massive voter fraud. Let us know if you actually ever find anything....we wont hold our breath though.
i find it funny as hell how republicans was so hell bent on keeping a certain group of citizens from voting and now that they are losing are asking for a recount because they want to make sure every vote is counted.
just sayin – The only ones guilty of voter fraud and voter suppression are your beloved right-wing masters, the GOP. Hopefully, you and your ilk will be extinct soon, right along with the rest of the GOP.
Shut this guy down. Come back and try again in two years. But, stop the foolishness. It's time to grow up and get a job like the rest of the American people who actually work for a living (unlike the cushy "job" of politicians).
so was turn out at 140% of registered voters? was the dead voter turn out far above the norm for democrats? how many disney characters are registered democrats in this district? how many times did people get to vote? it is scary we will have to go to the purple thumb method in the usa soon because of all the voter fraud perpetrated by democrats.
"human error"
translation: "people made mistakes by letting minorities vote."
Donkey,
Don't be so sure. Every one of these right wing social conservatives needs to be painted with a big "C" on their forheads for crazy. Redefining rape, limiting women's rights to control their own bodies, anti-gay, racist, etc. They only reason they won so big in 2010 was because they rebranded themselves and didn't say word one about wanting their chirstian religion to be our rule of law.
They'll be back in another mask and it is the democrats job to rip that mask off.
another allen west
Rouzer is the latest member of the Allen West cry baby loser's club. They just don't know how to exit gracefully.