Primary contest for lieutenant governor may need recount

    The Democratic lieutenant governor’s race may be headed to a recount.

    The Democratic lieutenant governor’s race may be headed to a recount.

    On the day before counties were scheduled to submit election results to the Department of State, Representative Scott Conklin led former Philadelphia Controller Jonathan Saidel by 4,202 votes.

    That’s 0.46 percent of all the votes cast in the race, which is just below the half of a percent threshold for an automatic recount.

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    Conklin spokesman Tor Michaels says the process would be waived, if Saidel concedes.

    “That clearly is up to our honorable opponent, whether or not there will be a recount,” says Michaels. “I can say on behalf of Representative Conklin that, if there is a recount, it will just reconfirm what we already know.”

    A Saidel spokesman says it’s too early to determine whether or not they’ll press for a recount.

    The process would begin on Thursday, and would need to be complete by June 8th.

    A spokesman for Dan Onorato says either Saidel or Conklin would be a “strong” lieutenant governor candidate, and that Saidel is free to make his own decision on whether or not to keep fighting.

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