Memphis native and Democratic Senate nominee Marquita Bradshaw said late Tuesday night that she would not concede the election to her Republican opponent Bill Hagerty. That’s despite the Associated Press calling the race in Hagerty’s favor shortly after polls closed at 7 p.m.
Bradshaw addresssed attendees at her election night watch party at a downtown Memphis hotel close to 10 p.m.
“Hagerty is not my U.S. Senator,” she said. “It is unconfirmed, and we will count every last vote.”
With a majority of the votes in, Hagerty led Bradshaw with 62 percent of the vote statewide to her 35 percent, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
Bradshaw said she was going to find her votes at “the bottom of the basement.” Asked later by a reporter if she thought the election was somehow stolen, she didn’t directly answer, but said her campaign would be examining election results in all 95 counties.
“We’re going to make sure that the votes actually represent what the people want,” she said.
She wouldn’t say if she had spoken to Hagerty or the Secretary of State.
Hagerty commended Bradshaw on her campaign during his victory speech earlier in the evening.
This post will be updated.