UPDATE: 4:20pm
Virgil Goode issued a statement this afternoon confirming that he will seek a recount:
"In an election this close—with less than one-quarter of one percent separating the two candidates, and with literally thousands of vote changes taking place during the post-election canvass process—a recount is an important protection for voters," said Goode in the e-mailed press release. "It ensures that each ballot that was lawfully cast in the Election is counted, and that the votes are accurately tallied. It also gives us a chance to ensure that each candidate’s tally is comprised only of votes that were properly and lawfully cast.
"Over the last few weeks, voters from across the Fifth District have encouraged me to seek a recount of the Election. Tomorrow, I will file the appropriate legal papers to request a recount of this Election."
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It was 20 days ago that Tom Perriello, Democratic candidate for the Fifth Congressional District, declared victory over Republican incumbent Virgil Goode.
Now, it’s official—sort of. The State Board of Elections has certified the results of the election and declared Perriello the winner with a margin of 745 votes. Goode, however, can ask for a state-funded recount because the margin of victory is less than 0.5 percent. His campaign has reportedly indicated that Goode will ask for a recount. He has a press conference slated for 3pm in Rocky Mount.
Jessica Barba, Perriello spokesperson, released a statement announcing the victory. “The citizens of the fifth district have spoken, every vote has been counted and certified, and they have elected Tom Perriello to be their new representative in Washington to bring the change and economic recovery they need,” she said.
"We respect Virgil Goode’s right to ask for a recount and we are confident the recount will not alter the outcome of this race. The official vote canvassing process that took place in the days immediately following the election was extensive, thorough, and overseen by representatives of both parties. A re-tabulation of the results of the vote canvass will result in what the Virginia State Board of Elections certified today—that Tom Perriello has been elected as the new congressman for the fifth district,” said Barba.
Perriello will hold a press conference at 1pm in Lynchburg to discuss the certification of the results.
