Republicans Reluctant To Concede Defeat In Fimian-Connolly Contest

The final vote count, which has now been certified on the local level, has Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly keeping his seat in the Capitol representing Virginia's 11th Congressional District, but Republican challenger Keith Fimian and his supporters appear reluctant to concede defeat.

After a three-day post-election canvass, Connolly has bested by 968 vote -- about double his lead on election night, when he first claimed victory.

His campaign says the race is over, and election administrators say the post-election review process worked exactly as intended.

But Fairfax county Republican chair Anthony Bedell says Fimian's legal team is still examining the accuracy of vote totals for themselves.

"We're just doing our due diligence," Bedell says. "I don't think anyone in the Republican Party or the Fimian campaign wants to drag this out longer than necessary, but in an election this close we just want to make sure we're doing what we can."

Bedell says a Fimian loss will be a major short-term disappointment, but he says recent Republican victories in statewide races prove that Fairfax Republicans are still a force.