Bill Brady Wins Governor's Primary: Kirk Dillard Loses Republican Nomination To Brady By 193 Votes

Bill Brady has won the Republican primary for governor by 193 votes, the Daily Herald reports Friday.

The state board of elections released its official count of vote totals today. While Brady's lead decreased from the roughly 250 votes it was thought to be this morning, the margin is likely not thin enough for his opponent, Kirk Dillard, to demand a recount.

Dillard has refused to concede, insisting that every vote in the incredibly close contest be counted. But the news conference he has scheduled for this afternoon could be "the concluding statement of the campaign," said campaign spokesman Wes Bleed.

Despite Dillard's persistence, Brady has been campaigning as if he were the nominee since the days following the February 2 primary. But it's unclear whether his victory will help or hinder the GOP's efforts to unseat Democratic Governor Pat Quinn in November.

After the primary, Brady expressed some far-right stances on a number of social issues, supporting a ban on abortion even in cases of rape or incest, a constitutional amendment against gay marriages and civil unions, and an effort to teach creationism in schools. And he has stumbled on a couple of issues as well, most notably on the budget and in yesterday's attack on Quinn's controversial prisoner-release program.

Brady is expected to address voters Friday afternoon.