With an unofficial ballot count casting Baltimore County Del. Wade Kach as the loser by less than 2 percent of votes, the candidate for chair of the Republican Central Committee isn?t ready to concede defeat.

Kach challenged current party chair Chris Cavey, saying the incumbent didn?t do enough to recruit Republican candidates for top spots like county executive. The ensuing battle unearthed inner-party turmoil in what political observers call a political battleground for the gubernatorial election.