Republican Steve Frisbie remains victorious in the race to represent Michigan’s 44th state House District in Calhoun County.
The county’s board of canvassers certified the results of a recount Tuesday, increasing Frisbie’s official margin of victory from 61 to 79 votes.
Unofficial results published after the November 5 election showed Frisbie with a larger lead. However, that was because a tabulation error had left thousands of votes counted, but unreported.
Frisbie’s opponent, Democratic incumbent Jim Haadsma, requested the recount.
Chris Trebilcock is a lawyer representing Haadsma. He said a Haadsma victory was not the point of the recount.
“While we were disappointed with the results, the hand recount process was transparent, and it addressed many of the errors in the original canvas that we saw,” Trebilcock said.
“Ultimately, this recount was intended to ensure the process was done correctly and it will provide valuable guidance for future election administration.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, Haadsma had not conceded the race.
“That's a personal decision for Jim on whether or not there's a formal conceding of the election. However, from a legal perspective, the recount and the certification is the last step in the process," Trebilcock said.
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
