Shafer Concedes GOP Race For Lt. Governor

ATLANTA, GA — State Sen. David Shafer on Wednesday conceded the Republican Party's nomination for lieutenant governor, saying he will not seek a recount in last week's primary runoff election against Geoff Duncan, a former state legislator, according to media reports. Shafer won 49.9 percent of the votes cast in the July 24 GOP runoff, but he said the completion of the counting of provisional ballots led him to concede, the Gwinnett Daily Post reported.

Since Shafer lost the race by less than 1 percent of the votes cast in the statewide election, he was entitled under state law to seek a recount.

Instead, he called on Republicans across Georgia to support Duncan for lieutenant governor in the Nov. 6 general election. Duncan is running against the Democratic Party’s nominee, Sarah Riggs Amico.

In a letter thanking his supporters, Shafer said, “My heart hurts for all those who worked so hard on my behalf,” the Gwinnett Daily Post reported.

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In the governor's race, Republican Brian Kemp, Georgia's secretary of state, is taking on Democrat Stacey Abrams, the state House minority leader. Kemp defeated Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle in last week's GOP runoff.

The winner of the governor's race will succeed Gov. Nathan Deal, a Republican.

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