Brian Kemp has declared victory in his high-profile race for governor against Stacey Abrams in Georgia, with his opponent vowing not to concede until every ballot is counted.
Ms Abrams, battling to become the ever first black women elected governor of a US state, urged that in the tight midterm election contest “one vote could be the difference” before her rival’s campaign said they had won.
Her Republican opponent’s team said it is “mathematically impossible” for the Democratic hopeful to win or force a run-off, adding that Mr Kemp would now begin his transition as governor-elect of the state.
Unofficial results from Tuesday's election battle showed Kemp leading by more than 60,000 votes and just over the 50 per cent threshold he needs to avoid a run-off under Georgia’s state law.
But Ms Abrams' campaign manager Lauren Groh-Wargo said there were thousands more mail, provisional and absentee ballots, however, still to be tallied, with the candidate refusing to accept defeat.
The Democratic campaign cited an "incredible amount of irregularities" on election day, including rejected ballots and broken voting machines, and said it would consider all options including litigation to ensure fairness.
Ms Abrams urged supporters to make sure their vote was counting, writing to her 211,000 followers on Twitter: “In a race this close, one vote could be the difference between a loss, a runoff, or a victory.
“If you voted on a provisional (paper) ballot, you need to make sure your vote was counted. Call Voter Protection immediately.”
Ms Abrams, who had received heavy backing from Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey, said “votes remain to be counted” and “voices are waiting to be heard”.
Her campaign had sought to rally greater numbers of young voters and minorities, who typically favour Democrats but often sit out elections in years when a presidential vote is not held.
