North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory on Monday conceded he lost his re-election bid.
Democrat Roy Cooper will now be declared the winner of the closely watched governor’s race.
McCrory, a Republican, made the announcement in a video message.
The election had been dragged out for nearly a month after McCrory complained about alleged voter fraud. Last month he also filed for a statewide recount, but by then Cooper’s lead had grown to 10,000 votes.
In the video message, McCrory said it was “time to celebrate our democratic process” and respect “the ultimate outcome of the closest North Carolina race in modern history.”
“Despite continued questions that should be answered regarding the voting process, I personally believe that the majority of our citizens have spoken, and we now should do everything we can to support the 75th governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper,” McCrory said.
