Coleman Concedes Lt Gov Race To Forest

Republican Dan Forest will be North Carolina's next lieutenant governor. His opponent, Democrat Linda Coleman, conceded the race to him earlier today. After a count of provisional and mail-in absentee ballots, she trailed him by just under 7 thousand votes. That slim margin allowed her to ask for an official recount. But she decided not to. Lieutenant Governor-elect Forest says he's grateful for the victory.

Dan Forest: "It's a great day in a lot of ways for us, it's certainly great to wrap up a long and hard fought campaign over the last 20 months. And we're very thankful for this moment. Got a call from Mrs. Coleman about an hour ago, and she conceded the election to us very graciously, wished us luck in the future as well."

Coleman told her supporters at the state Democratic headquarters that she will not press forward with lawsuits that contest some of the state's voting rules. A recount is still possible in the 7th Congressional District and a couple of legislative races.