Republican Saccone concedes in Pennsylvania race

Democrat Conor Lamb took to Twitter on Wednesday evening, announcing that his opponent, Republican Rick Saccone, had conceded defeat in the narrow race for Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District house seat.

Lamb tweeted, "Just got off the phone with my opponent, @RickSaccone4PA, who congratulated me & graciously conceded last Tuesday's election. I congratulate Mr. Saccone for a close, hard-fought race & wish him the best."

He added, "Ready to be sworn in & get to work for the people of #PA18."

Saccone had previously said he would explore "all legal options" in contesting the race after the results of the March 13 election showed him coming up short by just over 600 votes. But as election officials continued the count over the weekend, Lamb's edge grew to roughly 750 votes.

In a statement to CBS News, Saccone confirmed, "This afternoon, I spoke to Mr. Lamb, conceding the race in the Pennsylvania 18th Congressional District and congratulating him on his victory. While there are less than 800 votes separating us, the people of the 18th District deserve to have a voice representing them in Congress."

But Saccone suggested his political days aren't over, continuing, "While Yong and I are certainly disappointed with the outcome, I remain resolute in defending the voices of Southwestern Pennsylvania voters. I will continue this fight as a candidate in the 14th Congressional District."

His concession comes as officials await one remaining county's certification of the final vote count.

Throughout the campaign, Lamb took some moderate positions, criticizing Nancy Pelosi as House speaker and endorsing President Trump's steel tariffs. Early polling indicated that Saccone would win the election, but flipped as the date approached, in spite of the president and members of his administration campaigning for the Republican.

Lamb's victory in the race will be short-lived, considering Pennsylvania's Supreme Court recently decided to redraw the state's congressional districts, with plans to eliminate the 18th District. The redistricting is expected to occur in a matter of months.

The seat became available when former Republican Rep. Tim Murphy resigned the post last year, which he had held since 2003. A prior member of the House Pro-Life Caucus, Murphy admitted to an extramarital affair, and text messages from his former mistress suggested he asked her to have an abortion during a reported "pregnancy scare."