Quinn Concedes: 'We Do Not Have Enough Votes'

By Chuck Sudo in News on Nov 5, 2014 11:20PM

Gov. Pat Quinn said Tuesday night he would not concede defeat to Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner until every vote had been counted. A more thorough look at the math from the votes remaining to be tallied apparently forced Quinn to change his mind Wednesday as he conceded the Illinois gubernatorial election to Rauner and promised to make the transition between the two men as seamless as possible.

"it is clear we do not have enough votes to win the election," Quinn said during a brief news conference at the Thompson Center. He said he would spend his final two months in office pushing to increase Illinois' minimum wage.

Rauner's campaign released a statement thanking Quinn.

"I thank Gov. Quinn for his many years of service to Illinois and appreciate his commitment to making this a smooth transition. I look forward to getting to work to make Illinois the most compassionate and competitive state in the nation."

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office also released a statement after Quinn's news conference.

“Governor Quinn has been a great partner to the City of Chicago. I would like to thank him for the work he has done on behalf of our residents, and I will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him as we fight to raise the minimum wage over the next two months. I would also like to congratulate Governor-elect Bruce Rauner. We must work together on behalf of all Chicagoans and put progress ahead of politics to move Chicago and Illinois forward.”

Earlier Wednesday, Rauner tapped his running mate, Lt. Gov.-elect Evelyn Sanguinetti, to head his transition team.