The State Board of Elections on Monday declared Democrat Mark R. Herring Virginia’s next attorney general, capping a dramatic three-week certification process in the closest statewide race in Virginia history.Herring defeated Republican Mark D. Obenshain by a mere 165 votes out of more than 2 million cast, according to the final tally certified in Richmond on Monday, at least temporarily giving Democrats a historic sweep of statewide offices. Herring joins Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffe and Lt. Gov.-elect Ralph S. Northam in preparing to assume office in January.
Yet the exceedingly narrow results also offered reason to brace for a recount. The certified tally gave Herring 1,103,777 votes to Obenshain’s 1,103,612 — a winning margin of less than one hundredth of a percent.