Dan Neil concedes House race

Four months later, we can say with confidence that Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, is the winner of House District 48. She won by four votes.

Challenger Dan Neil threw in the towel Friday. He had appealed the election to the House, where Rep. Will Hartnett, R-Dallas, was appointed special master to oversee the contest. Evidence was presented and Hartnett said that Howard won, though not by much. The committee overseeing the election contest agreed 9-0.

Neil could have appealed to the full House, but decided to let it go. Howard has been serving in the House while the contest went forward.

Here's Neil's full statement: "With the select committee's ruling that we did not meet the burden of proof to overturn the election results in HD-48, I have decided the best course of action is to withdraw my election contest. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to all my supporters who worked hard on a campaign that was ultimately decided by the narrowest of margins. Their prayers and support have made this entire experience worthwhile even if the end result is not what we sought. I would also like to thank Master Hartnett and the Committee for their hard work on this issue. And I want to wish Donna Howard well as she continues to represent District 48, which is a special place to live, work and raise a family."

Source: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/03/dan-neil-concedes-house-race.html

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