RICHMOND, VA - Virginia House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) issued the following statement on Mark Obenshain's decision to request a recount: “Mark Obenshain's decision to request a recount in the historically close election for Attorney General is the right one. Like many others, I have heard concerns from voters across the Commonwealth that in a race separated by seven one thousandths of a percent, we must take extra care to ensure an accurate result. I cannot imagine a more appropriate use of Virginia’s recount laws. We must eliminate any potential lingering errors in the vote tabulation and give close scrutiny to questions raised in the certification process by the State Board of Elections Chairman Charlie Judd. The people of Virginia should have complete confidence that every legitimate vote has been counted.
“It is likely that we could see the vote margin in a recount change by more than the current margin of 165 votes, as 2.2 million ballots are recounted. Regardless of the outcome, a recount will serve to further legitimize the process by which the votes are counted and Virginia's next Attorney General is elected. A recount is the responsible and right thing to do.
"The civility and integrity we have seen from Mark is a testament to the Virginia Way. The focus of this reexamination of the ballots should be thorough, civil, and with an eye towards ensuring accuracy in the final result.”