BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - The Latest on House elections in New York (all times local):
6:20 p.m.
Democrat Nate McMurray says he wasn’t conceding his race against indicted Republican Congressman Chris Collins when he told supporters on election night he was falling “a little short.”
With the western New York race still too close to call and thousands of absentee ballots uncounted, McMurray told reporters Wednesday he is still fighting.
Collins declared victory shortly after McMurray gave an emotional speech that surprised race callers who’d yet to declare a winner. McMurray says it was the media that called it a concession.
Collins’ adviser Christopher Grant says the results were close but decisive. He predicted the roughly 10,000 absentee ballots won’t change the outcome.
Unofficial results give Collins a 2,800-vote lead.
Win or lose, Collins faces trial in 2020 on charges of insider trading. He has pleaded not guilty.
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2:30 p.m.
An undecided U.S. House race in central New York could drag on for weeks before all remaining ballots are tallied.
Democrat Anthony Brindisi was beating Republican U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney by fewer than 1,500 votes Wednesday.
Tenney has not conceded and her campaign manager notes that thousands of absentee ballots must still be counted.
Late Tuesday Brindisi predicted he would win the district, which includes the former manufacturing hubs of Binghamton and Utica as well as rolling hills dotted with dairy farms.
Tenney was an early supporter of President Donald Trump and her rhetoric bothered some moderates within her own party. But her policies remained popular in a district strongly backed Trump in 2016.
Brindisi, a state assemblyman, campaigned on calls for bipartisanship in Washington.
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2:24 p.m.
The race between indicted Republican U.S. Rep. Chris Collins and Democratic challenger Nate McMurray in western New York remains too close to call and might not be decided for days.
Collins and McMurray have scheduled Wednesday news conferences to talk about where things stand.
McMurray took back his election night concession speech with unofficial returns showing him within 3,000 votes of Collins.
Erie County officials say they’ll be canvassing polling place ballots and counting absentee ballots for the next few weeks.
They say 20,000 absentee ballots went out in Erie County, the largest of the district’s eight counties.
McMurray says he wants every vote counted.
Win or lose, Collins faces trial in 2020 on charges of insider trading and lying to the FBI. He’s pleaded not guilty.
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