A Delaware Department of Elections recount settles the dispute over absentee ballots in the race for Kent County’s Register of Wills.
The race appeared to be won by Republican Colin Bonini by a margin of 429 votes on Tuesday night.
But by Wednesday around noon, according to GOP State Party chair Julianne Murray, there was an influx of more than 3 thousand absentee ballots. That turned the election Democratic candidate D.J. Cox’s way, with the unofficial results showing Cox won the election by about 1%.
After a recount of absentee ballots Friday, Cox had about 40 fewer votes than originally counted, and his election was certified.
“For whatever reason, they threw out a couple extra ballots. You know, maybe they didn't shade the bubble in the dark enough, or whatever be the case, but it was fair and it was an honest election, and I look forward to serving the people of Kent County.”
Bonini told the Daily State News Friday he congratulates Cox on his victory, but still questions that there were 6,000 legitimate absentee ballots. He previously told Delaware Online that he believed the election was stolen.
Cox disagrees.
“Mr. Bonini has said that he thinks it was stolen or rigged and the Republican state chair, Miss Murray has said that it doesn't pass a sniff test… But it does. It does. And I think it's something that they know.”
Murray told Delaware Public Media Friday she anticipated the Department of Elections would certify Cox as the winner.
“The party is going to have to assess whether there would be any further legal action, basically a lawsuit that challenges either the process or the validity, and I don't know which that is at this point.”
