State Sen. Kirk Dillard conceded the Republican nomination for governor this afternoon, backing hard-fought opponent and Illinois Senate colleague Bill Brady.
Dillard came within 195 votes of winning, according to results certified this morning by the Illinois State Board of Elections.
"Close, huh?" Dillard joked with reporters. "It was a hard-fought race ... but now it's clear.
"I'm going to extend my full support to Bill Brady."
Dillard, appearing beside his watery-eyed wife at Chicago's Union League Club, estimated that the results came down to less than two votes per county in the state.
"I was truly a statewide candidate," he said. "I'm proud of the very, very eclectic group of supporters that I had."
Defying an onslaught of attacks from fellow Republicans who claimed that he was too liberal, Dillard was able to close in on a downstate candidate who was among the most conservative in the GOP field.
Brady, a Bloomington state senator, drew a tiny percentage, about 5 percent, from the Chicago area considered crucial to the fortunes of any statewide candidate.
Still, Dillard said that when compared with Democratic nominee Gov. Pat Quinn, Brady is a clear choice for Illinois voters.
"Bill Brady's got great ideas on how to create jobs and how to balance the state budget," Dillard said, later adding that he "has no ethical cloud whatsoever around him."
But he warned that Brady must spend more time in northeast Illinois and Chicago, where Brady's son is at law school at DePaul University.
"He was a very proud downstater, as he should be," Dillard said. He vowed to help Brady pick up votes in other areas of the state.
Dillard had long said he would consider a recount if the final margin was within 100 votes. Asked why he finally decided against it, despite a margin nearly twice as large, Dillard cited party unity.
"A recount would be time consuming, and I want Sen. Brady to have as much time as he can," Dillard said. "A recount would be divisive to the Republican Party."
Windy Citizen 