(Newser)
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Allen West finally threw in the towel this morning. He handed the House seat to challenger Patrick Murphy following two weeks of court appearances and two partial recounts that ultimately increased the distance between the two candidates in the incredibly close race. "There are certainly still inaccuracies in the results," West said in a statement, but "we do not have evidence that the outcome would change" if contested further. West congratulated Murphy, saying, "I pray he will serve his constituents with honor and integrity."
A spokesman for Murphy's campaign tells the AP that if West called to concede he hadn't heard about it, but Murphy put out his own statement saying he was "humbled by Congressman West's gracious concession." The Murphy/West race was one of the most closely watched and expensive congressional campaigns in history, with Tea Party darling West out-fundraising Murphy four-to-one.
