Montgomery County has put Democratic Congressman John Delaney back into office again.
On Friday morning, former Secret Service agent and Republican candidate Dan Bongino conceded the tight race, which was decided by just over 2,000 votes, to Delaney. Delaney beat out Bongino by a nearly 2 to 1 margin in the county, while Bongino prevailed in the more rural counties in the district: Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties.
“After a hard-fought race, it is now time to move on and allow the citizens of Maryland to be heard,” Bongino said in a statement. “Although there are still some outstanding votes, it is clear that Congressman Delaney will emerge the victor. Congressman Delaney ran an incredible race and has emerged as an important voice in Maryland’s political environment.”
Bongino also thanked Delaney for a handwritten note that the congressman sent expressing his condolences after Bongino told him about the health problems and stress his wife was having as a result of a tiring campaign schedule.
“It reminded me that although our wonderful country is currently marked by passionate political differences, these differences should never become personal,” Bongino said in his concession statement.
In his victory statement, Delaney said the district deserved a bipartisan approach. “The surest way to move our country forward is to take the best ideas from each side, put aside ideology and find new solutions,” He said. Delaney congratulated Bongino on a “vigorous campaign” and thanked him for his service to the country.
The Associated Press previously called the tight race for Delaney Thursday night after his lead grew slightly with the counting of absentee ballots.
The vote count as of Monday morning:
The 6th Congressional District includes all of Western Maryland and stretches south into Montgomery County, including portions of Potomac and Gaithersburg.
Delaney worked as a successful businessman in Potomac and Chevy Chase—two companies he started, CapitalSource and HealthCare Financial, went public—before being elected to Congress for the first time in 2012.
Bongino previously lost a race for a seat in the U.S. Senate against Ben Cardin in 2012.
