Republican concedes race for GOP nomination for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District seat

GOP contender for Hawaii US House seat concedes

HONOLULU — Former television reporter Ramsay Wharton is conceding the race for the GOP nomination for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District.

Wharton said in a statement Monday that she lost in Saturday’s primary election to airline pilot John Willoughby by 212 votes, the margin reported by the state Office of Elections on Sunday.

Wharton says Hawaii law does not require an automatic re-count in contests where the margin is so small. She says legislators should consider instituting an automatic re-count process.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono was unopposed for her party’s nomination. The district represents rural Oahu and the neighbor islands.