Houck: No Regrets for Career, Campaign

Virginia State Senator Edd Houck (D-Spotsylvania), a 28-year statehouse veteran, has conceded the results of Tuesday's election to Republican challenger Bryce Reeves.

"There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under the heaven...a time to search and a time to give up," said Houck, quoting the biblical book of Ecclesiastes as he started off his speech.

For Houck, it was a time to give up.

"I have no regrets about the campaign that we ran, the results of the election were not exactly what I was looking for, but in terms of the campaign, we did everything we could to try and win this election," said Houck in a concession speech delivered at his Fredericksburg campaign headquarters.

Houck says the decision to concede the election was made following a conference call at 2:30 p.m. with campaign strategists, legal consultants and Democratic party officials. He also said that last night he and his wife Dana had a conversation about how to proceed.

"There is little or no chance that a recount will change the result," said Houck in a conference call to reporters following his speech. "I feel that I would be disingenious to my supporters to offer them false hope for perhaps another month."

An hour before his speech at 4 p.m., Houck called Senator-Elect Reeves and congratulated him on winning the election.

"The results of this election were obvious," said Houck during his speech. "It came to me at this point that he fairly won the election."

Houck took time to stress that last point, saying that he believed the results of Tuesday's election, which saw Houck lose the election by less than 1 percent of the vote. Reeves has a little more than a 220 vote margin over Houck.

Houck also gave Reeves a single piece of advice:

"It's going to take a great deal of time and effort to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of his office. I reminded him not to become unmindful of his wife and children," said Howe. "We had a very cordial and positive conversation with each other."

Houck was unsure if the results of the election signal a shift in the politics of Virginia's 17th Senate District.

"It's pretty hard to determine that. The voters have spoken," said Houck during a question and answer session following his speech. "I've been state senator for 28 years. In 1983, on election night, when I won, I made three promises, I promised that I would work hard, be honest, and that I would stay in close connection with the citizens of my district, here 28 years later I would (tell) you mission accomplished."

Houck says that, at the moment, he has no larger plans than to go home and relax.

The night of the election, Houck says, was almost like a roller coaster of emotions.

"It went from exhilaration to being very, very concerned about it," said Houck. "It was an interesting evening seeing how the votes were being reported. There were human errors made."

About half an hour before his press conference,
"To the hundreds of my supporters, I wish I could have given you the victory you deserve. But, it simply did not happen," wrote Houck to friends.

Houck closed his concession speech with one last Bible quote, this time, from the second book of Timothy.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith."