Nov 6 (Reuters) - The race for Virginia attorney general
could be headed for a recount as the preliminary vote tally on
Wednesday showed the Democratic candidate with a razor-thin lead
that could allow his Republican rival to call for an appeal.
Republican state Senator Mark Obenshain of Harrisonburg
finished 541 votes behind Democratic state Senator Mark Herring
of Leesburg out of 2.17 million cast in the Tuesday polls,
according to unofficial state election board figures.
State law provides for an appeal of election results if the
margin of victory is no more than 1 percent. Obenshain's margin
is less than one-tenth that.
Obenshain said he would wait until the state election board
completes its tabulations before deciding whether to seek a
recount, a step he would be allowed by law to take after the
election board meets on Nov. 25 to formally tally and announce
the results.
"We're going to wait until the State Board of Elections
finishes its tabulations and make any further decisions at that
time," Obenshain said of a possible recount in a statement.
A win by Obenshain would give the Republican party its only
statewide victory in the 2013 election. Democrat Terry McAuliffe
won the governor's race, and the lieutenant governorship went to
state Senator Ralph Northam.
(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Scott Malone and Maureen
Bavdek)
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