RUIDOSO N.M. New Mexico restaurateur and rancher Ed Tinsley has conceded the race for the state's 2nd Congressional District to Democratic opponent Harry Teague.
With 449 of 494 precincts reporting at 1 a.m.. MST on Wednesday morning, Republican Tinsley lagged Teague 45 percent to 55percent, or 85,354 votes to 104,901 votes.
Tinsley, who franchises the K-Bob’s Steakhouse chain and whose race was endorsed by the National Restaurant Association, a group for which he served as chairman, had not immediately released a statement.
“Today, I thank all our campaign volunteers and all of the voters – the farmers, ranchers and dairymen, the oil and gas crews, the small businesses, and hard-working families making ends meet in challenging times – this campaign was about you,” said Tinsley. “I want to congratulate Harry Teague on a hard-fought race.”
Tinsley said he had staked out clear positions on supporting the Second Amendment and the troops in Iraq, keeping taxes low and finding more American energy sources. In recent weeks, Tinsley emphasized the critical importance of New Mexico’s delegation hitting the ground in Washington on Day One as four out of five congressional seats change hands.
The 2nd District U.S. House seat had been held by Republicans for 28 years.
Tinsley gained three major newspaper endorsements of the race – the Las Cruces Sun-News, the Roswell Daily Record and the Albuquerque Journal.