Kentucky’s outgoing governor Matt Bevin has conceded defeat on Thursday, to the Democrat Andy Beshear. A recanvass showed Bevin trailed by 5,136 votes.
The Republican Bevin told reporters that the recanvass effort did not significantly change the outcome and he would not contest the results.
“We’re going to have a change in the governorship based on the vote of the people,” Bevin told reporters. “And what I want is to see the absolute best for Kentucky. I’m not going to contest these numbers that have come in. It isn’t fair to throw that on our legislature.”
Beshear, the state attorney general and son of former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, will be sworn in on Dec. 10. At a press conference of his own later Thursday, Beshear thanked Bevin for conceding, though the two men hadn’t spoken personally.