Rossi concedes Senate race

MOSES LAKE - Despite more than 71 percent of Grant County voters supporting Dino Rossi in his bid to become senator, he conceded the election Thursday night.

"This evening, I called Senator Murray to offer my congratulations on her re-election to the U.S. Senate," Rossi stated.

The hotly contested election, noted for negative attacks ads, gained national attention and a visit from President Barack Obama.

Rossi received only 48.74 percent with 881,315 of the votes statewide, as of Thursday night, according to the Secretary of State's Office.

Murray received 51.26 percent with 926,976 votes from across the state.

"I ran for the Senate because I believe we need a basic course correction from where Washington, D.C., has been taking us and to make sure this country is as free, as strong and as prosperous in the future as it has been in the past to preserve the best of America for future generations," Rossi stated.

Rossi congratulated fellow Republicans for winning offices and voiced hope they can change the course of federal government.

"My hope going forward is that our representatives in Washington, D.C. will be thinking about how an issue affects Bellevue, Bellingham or Bingen, not the D.C. Beltway," Rossi stated. "I hope they will be thinking about the small business owners struggling to stay open and the people that work there who are trying to pay their mortgage and feed their kids. I hope the things that are done in D.C. make it easier for these folks, not harder."

The general election on Tuesday drew 51.19 percent of state voters, and 66.36 percent of Grant County's registered voters.

- Staff report