It became one of the closest races in recent Illinois history. On Wednesday, Republican Tom Cross conceded the race to Democrat Mike Frerichs in the state treasurer's contest.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Cross' campaign issued the following statement:
"With the final votes counted, this election now has a conclusive outcome and I have congratulated Sen. Frerichs on a hard-fought victory. Sen. Frerichs has demonstrated time and time again his commitment to our state and that will serve all of us well as he becomes Illinois’ next state treasurer."
The Associated Press reports the tight contest had as few as 400 votes separating the candidates early this week.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, votes on Tuesday, which included Chicago and Cook County, put Frerichs up by more than 9,500 votes.
Tim Schneider, Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, released the following statement:
“I want to commend Tom Cross and his campaign team on a tough, hard-fought race.
“Tom Cross has given us more than two decades of service and principled leadership, and for that we are truly grateful.
“We owe a debt of gratitude as well to his staff, his supporters, and the countless volunteers who worked on his campaign, on Election Day, and in the days since, for their energy and their dedication to our cause.
“I wish Mike Frerichs well as he serves the people of Illinois as the next Treasurer.”
Frerichs said the call he received from Cross was cordial and gracious.
“He called to concede this race, and (say) that he’s not going to pursue a recount going forward, and we had a good conversation about the direction the state needs to be going."
Frerichs says Illinois AFL-CIO President Michael Carrigan and Congresswoman Robin Kelly will head his transition team.
Editor's Note: Brian Mackey of WUIS contributed to this story.
