Broun will report to Congress after opponent concedes race

Former Senator Jim Whitehead conceded the close 10th District runoff Tuesday after learning that a recount could take another week, clearing the way for the election's surprise winner to take his hard-won officethis week as U.S. Rep. Paul Broun (R-Athens).

"The people of this district have been without a federal representative since February, and that's long enough," Whitehead said in a press release Tuesday.

"If this recount could be done quickly to make sure the results are correct it would be worth it," Whitehead went on, "but to even take an outside chance we could drag this election out another week is unjustifiable in light of the time we have gone without a vote in Congress. For the good of the people of this district I will let the results stand and allow us to regain our vote in the House immediately."

Broun won the 10th Congressional District runoff with 50.4 percent of the vote, according to the results certified Monday by the Georgia Secretary of State: 23,529 to 23,135, officially handing Broun a 394-vote victory only a month after placing a distant second to Whitehead in the June election.

Whitehead had said as late as Monday that he thought a recount was appropriate since the election was so tight.

"A counting error in any one or more of our precincts could be the determining factor when the margin is this close," Whitehead said, "and we owe it to our voters to be absolutely certain that the final verdict is the one expressed by the majority. We need to make sure there were indeed no errors before declaring a winner."

Although Broun told newspapers Monday that the likelihood of a recount won't change his plans to take the oath of officein Washington, D.C., later this week, the governor put the brakes on that.

Gov. Sonny Perdue told Broun that he wouldn't sign the paperwork officially informing Washington of the 10th District race results until after a recount has been completed.

Whitehead's concession Tuesday makes Rep. Broun's swearing-in ceremony in D.C. possible as early as Thursday, although the event had not been scheduled at press time.

After Whitehead conceded the race, Broun issued the following statement:

"Under Georgia law, Jim Whitehead had every right to ask for a recount. While eager to go to Washington and be sworn in, I was fully prepared to let the recount process run its course. Having run for officebefore and lost, I know first-hand the emotions involved that can influence one's thinking. I am sure that is all the more true in an election that is very close. It is to Jim Whitehead's credit that his concern for the people of the 10th District and their need for immediate representation in Congress superseded personal considerations.

"As I stated the day following the vote on June 19th, I never considered Jim to be my enemy; we were simply competitors for the same job. Jim has rendered valuable service to the people of Georgia. I hope that in the future we will be able to work together for the good of the communities that he loves so much and to which he has contributed much.

"Finally, I wish to thank both Secretary of State Karen Handel and Governor Sonny Perdue for the dedicated, professional, and thorough way in which they discharged their duties regarding the certificationof the election and the possibility of a recount. Their actions and those of the election officials in each county of the 10th District should assure every Georgia citizen of the integrity of our election process."

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