Democrat Chris Mann conceded the Kansas attorney general race to Republican Chris Kobach late Thursday, more than 24 hours after it became clear Kobach had won. The Associated Press called the race for Kobach on Wednesday, but Mann had refused to concede — despite a virtually insurmountable deficit of 17,383 votes. It reversed course at 8:40 p.m. on Thursday in a statement that acknowledged what was certain about the previous day. “While mail-in and provisional ballots will still be counted through the weekend, the outcome of the attorney general’s race likely won’t change,” Mann said. “I congratulate Kris Kobach on his election to this important office. I’m asking him — on behalf of all Kansans — to put aside divisive politics and focus on the safety and security of all Kansans.” Mail-in ballots that arrive at polling stations by Monday will be counted, and local election officials across the state will decide which provisional ballots to count in the coming days. But the size of the vote gap between the two men made it seemingly impossible for Mann to close the gap. Kobach, who declared victory on election night, earlier signaled that he had already begun to move ahead with preparations to take office despite the lack of a concession from Mann. While Mann’s concession has little to do with the vote count, it signals a belated adherence to what until recent years was an almost sacrosanct tradition in American elections. Kobach, a former Kansas secretary of state, was ahead of Mann 51 percent to 49 percent in unofficial results posted on the Kansas Secretary of State’s website Thursday. The fight between the two men was tough and tough. Mann, a former Wyandotte County prosecutor and Lawrence police officer, attacked Kobach’s divisiveness and competence. Kobach, a controversial figure who built a national reputation for hard-line views on illegal immigration and support for restrictions on elections in the name of fighting voter fraud, called Mann too liberal for the position. Kobach will take office in early January, succeeding Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican who ran for governor instead of seeking re-election. Related stories from the Kansas City Star Jonathan Shorman is the lead political reporter for the Kansas City Star, covering Kansas and Missouri politics and government. He previously covered the Kansas Statehouse for The Star and the Wichita Eagle. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas.
