Republican Scott Milne will not call for a recount of last Tuesday’s gubernatorial election, the candidate said Wednesday. Milne acknowledged that incumbent Gov. Peter Shumlin received the most votes of any candidate for governor, but opted not to concede. He left open the possibility of an appeal to the Legislature, which will formally elect the next governor because no candidate got a majority of the vote. Milne said he will talk next week about how he believes the Legislature should vote in January. He has denied claims that he is lobbying legislators to vote for him. Debate since the election has centered around whether lawmakers should vote for the candidate they choose or the one who won their legislative district. The Legislature has elected the first-place finisher in every instance since 1853.
Milne said he decided not to call for a recount after seeing official results of the election, released by Secretary of State Jim Condos’ office. The results became official at a Wednesday meeting of the statewide canvassing committee, a largely ceremonial gathering of party chairs who sign the official results. “I trust that Peter Shumlin won the plurality,” Milne said in a statement emailed after the canvassers met.
Shumlin won 46.4 percent of the vote, while Milne received 45.1 percent. Shumlin tallied 2,434 more votes than Milne. Those totals show Shumlin is “one of the weakest of any incumbent governor seeking re-election in our history,” Milne said.
Full Article: Milne won’t seek recount, but isn’t conceding the race – Bennington Banner.