Mark Obenshain To Ask For Recount In Virginia Attorney General's Race

Virginia Attorney General's Race Heads Toward Recount
FILE - In this Nov. 13, 2013 file photo, State Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, Republican candidate for Attorney General, gestures during a new conference at the Capitol Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013, in Richmond, Va. The closest statewide race in modern Virginia political history is unlikely to end Monday, Nov. 25, when the State Board of Elections certifies the votes for attorney general and other contests in the Nov. 5 election. The State Board of Elections puts Democrat Mark Herring with a 165-vote edge over Obenshain out 2.2 million ballots cast for attorney general. While he hasn?t said so, Obenshain has signaled he will seek a recount, and he could press the issue to the General Assembly if he wants to take it to the limits of the law. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
FILE - In this Nov. 13, 2013 file photo, State Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, Republican candidate for Attorney General, gestures during a new conference at the Capitol Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013, in Richmond, Va. The closest statewide race in modern Virginia political history is unlikely to end Monday, Nov. 25, when the State Board of Elections certifies the votes for attorney general and other contests in the Nov. 5 election. The State Board of Elections puts Democrat Mark Herring with a 165-vote edge over Obenshain out 2.2 million ballots cast for attorney general. While he hasn?t said so, Obenshain has signaled he will seek a recount, and he could press the issue to the General Assembly if he wants to take it to the limits of the law. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Virginia State Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg) plans to ask for a recount in the state's race for attorney general, his campaign announced Tuesday. Obenshain currently trails State Sen. Mark Herring (D-Loudon) by 165 votes out of over 2.2 million cast. The race is the closest statewide contest in Virginia history.

The Board of Elections certified Herring as the winner on Monday, but state law allows the trailing candidate to request a recount at taxpayers' expense if the margin of victory is less than one half of one percent.

A Herring win would give the Democrats the top three political offices statewide, all of which are currently held by Republicans.

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