Antigay Allen West Concedes Defeat

Allen West, the Florida congressman who proudly held antigay positions, has conceded defeat to his LGBT-supportive challenger, Patrick Murphy.

BY Neal Broverman

November 20 2012 12:00 PM ET UPDATED: November 20 2012 12:55 PM ET

Congressman Allen West

Allen West, a Tea Party congressman from Florida who supported "don't ask, don't tell" but opposes antidiscrimination laws, conceded defeat Tuesday to his Democratic challenger, Patrick Murphy.

West announced that he would not take further actions to contest the outcome of the closely watched election after nearly two weeks of battle. The incumbent acknolwedged that "he couldn’t surmount his 1,904-vote, or 0.58 percent, deficit," according to Politico. The difference put West just outside the 0.5 percent threshold that automatically triggers a recount of all votes.

“For two weeks since Election Day, we have been working to ensure every vote is counted accurately and fairly," said West, Politico reported. "We have made progress towards that goal, thanks to the dedication of our supporters and their unrelenting efforts to protect the integrity of the democratic process. While many questions remain unanswered, today I am announcing that I will take no further action to contest the outcome of this election.”

The Republican also congratulated Murphy, the congressman-elect in the South Florida district.

“I pray he will serve his constituents with honor and integrity, and put the interests of our nation before his own," he said.

With 100% of precincts reporting, West was more than 2,400 votes behind Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy. West demanded a recount, which showed Murphy actually gaining more votes. The Democrat, supportive of marriage equality and other gay rights, called for West to concede. Read more about the recount here.