Brian Kemp says Stacey Abrams concession ‘long overdue’

A spokesman for Republican Brian Kemp says a concession in the Georgia governor’s race by Democrat Stacey Abrams is “long overdue.”

The statement Monday comes in response to a federal lawsuit filed Sunday by Abrams’ campaign asking a judge to delay certification of Georgia’s vote by one day to be sure officials count any votes that were wrongly rejected.

Unofficial returns show Kemp with about 50.3 percent of the vote. Abrams hopes to pick up enough provisional votes and other uncounted ballots to push Kemp’s margin below the 50 percent threshold he needs to avoid a runoff.

Kemp campaign spokesman Ryan Mahoney said in a statement Monday that Abrams had “moved from desperation to delusion.”

Mahoney said: “Stacey Abrams lost and her concession is long overdue.”