Allen West: Patrick Murphy Had To 'Cheat To Beat Me'

Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) eventually conceded defeat in his race against Democrat Patrick Murphy after weeks of fighting the results, but more than a month since the November election, the conservative firebrand is still not willing to say that Murphy's win was legitimate.

In fact, during a recent interview with radio host Mark Levin, West suggested outright that Murphy had actually cheated him out of victory.

After being praised by Levin as a "national treasure," West reassured listeners that he wouldn't fade out of politics simply because of his loss after a single term in Congress.

"I'm a warrior and I’m a statesman and I'm a servant of this republic," West told Levin in a Thursday interview. "I’m not going away just because of a congressional race where he seems to have to cheat to beat me."

(Click over to ThinkProgress for audio of the interview)

West was slow to accept his apparent loss, instead demanding various recounts and followup examinations of ballots. In a concession following these procedures, however, West admitted that rectifying potential voting "inaccuracies" still wouldn't be able to change the outcome of the race.

But West's latest comments suggest that he's still bitter about his defeat. The congressman's ouster could have been made even more painful last week, when West's final campaign finance report showed that he'd spent $18.1 million over the 2012 cycle, more than four times as much as Murphy's $4.2 million.

Conservatives were quick to rally behind West amid signs that he would be departing Congress. Georgia Republicans encouraged West to lay down roots for a political resurgence in their state even before he officially conceded his Florida race. West later rejected the offer.

[H/T ThinkProgress]