By Neil Doyle

SPRINGFIELD – In the 13th Congressional District it was a narrow victory for Incumbent Republican Rodney Davis who inched by Democratic challenger Betsy Dirksen Londrigan.

Londrigan officially conceded to Davis after a phone call this afternoon.

Londrigan said in a statement:

“This afternoon, I called Congressman Rodney Davis and congratulated him on his win. While this outcome was not the one we had hoped for, it has been one of the greatest honors of my life to spend the last 16 months in this race. I put over 60,000 miles on my car, traveling across Central Illinois and meeting with thousands of hard working people. We focused on issues that matter most to our neighbors and communities — like access to quality and affordable health care and protections for those with pre-existing conditions.

During this campaign, big promises were made about protecting people with pre-existing conditions. Those making the promises must be held accountable, and the fight for access to affordable health care must continue. Again, I want to thank my family, staff, volunteers, and our supporters across Illinois’ 13th Congressional District for a hard-fought and meaningful campaign.”

Davis released this statement after his opponent called to concede:

“I want to congratulate my opponent on a hard-fought race. Campaigns are difficult on families and I respect Betsy for running. This is what our democracy was founded on. Last night was bittersweet, but now it’s time to put the campaign behind us and find a way for Republicans and Democrats to unite this country and solve the major issues facing this nation. As someone who has a record of working across the aisle, I’m hoping we can pass a farm bill, invest in infrastructure, address health care costs while continuing to protect families with pre-existing conditions, and build on the many bipartisan successes we’ve already had.”

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]