A Democratic election official in Pennsylvania offered an impassioned apology Wednesday for claiming “precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country” to justify counting about 600 faulty ballots in defiance of state Supreme Court rulings.

The ballot recount for the Senate race in Pennsylvania has been halted after incumbent Sen. Bob Casey conceded on Thursday to Republican challenger Dave McCormick.

Democratic-majority election boards in Montgomery, Philadelphia, and Bucks counties voted last week to count the ballots that lacked a correct date.

Senator Bob Casey has conceded to his Republican opponent, David McCormick, in a Pennsylvania race that was so close that it triggered a recount.

The recount underway in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race marks the end of a chaotic post-election period that has become the latest example of how disputed election rules can expose weak points in a co

According to unofficial results, Republican Dave McCormick leads incumbent Democrat Bob Casey by roughly 16,000 votes. "That is a staggeringly close number considering that 36,604 Philadelphians chose to undervote the race," said Philadelphia Commissioner Lisa M Deeley (D), meaning they voted for President but skipped over the Senate race.

Republican Dave McCormick will defeat Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, CNN projects, boosting the GOP majority in the Senate next year.

Bucks County has been at the center of controversy since a commissioner said she willingly decided to ignore a court directive to disqualify certain ballots.

When Casey lost narrowly to McCormick on November 5, the three-term incumbent refused to accept the election results.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey asked for the recount to be ended, the Pennsylvania Department of State told counties

(Reuters) - Democratic Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania on Thursday said he was conceding a closely fought race to Dave McCormick in a Republican victory that boosts the party's majority in the upper chamber.