Ande Smith Concedes 1st District Republican Primary To Mark Holbrook

Ande Smith, a Republican candidate for Maine’s First Congressional District, has conceded the race to his primary opponent, Republican Mark Holbrook. Holbrook’s victory by a margin of 57 votes was confirmed Wednesday by Kristen Muszynski, a spokeswoman for the Maine Secretary of State’s Office. Holbrook won the primary election by 55 votes, but Smith asked for a recount because of his opponent’s slim margin of victory. Muszynski said the recount, which started earlier this week, was completed Wednesday afternoon by her office. In a statement issued late Wednesday afternoon, Smith congratulated Holbrook and thanked his supporters for their confidence in him. “I would first like to thank my supporters and volunteers throughout Maine’s First District for their hard work and support during this last few months,” Smith said in a statement.