Official Count Shows Ben Chandler Defeating Andy Barr By 649 Votes.

Official count shows Chandler defeating Barr by 649 votes
By John Cheves

U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler, D-Versailles, leads Republican Andy Barr by 649 votes, according to official vote totals from all 16 counties in the 6th Congressional District.

The last of the county totals, which have been certified by county clerks but have not yet been given the final stamp of approval by the Kentucky Board of Elections, were submitted to the secretary of state’s office on Friday.

The official count is Chandler with 119,812 votes and Barr with 119,163 votes, said Les Fugate, spokesman for the secretary of state.

As county and state officials double-checked their math, there were slight adjustments to totals in Estill County, which Barr won, and Fayette and Franklin counties, which Chandler won.

Chandler declared victory on Tuesday night, but Barr, a Lexington lawyer, has not conceded and requested a recanvass, a machine-by-machine check of the vote totals. The recanvass is scheduled for Nov. 12.

Chandler sent an e-mail to supporters Friday saying, in part, “It is official! The Secretary of State just certified our race, and I want to thank you for helping propel us to victory!”

If Barr does not request a full recount in court, the Kentucky Board of Elections is scheduled to certify the vote on Nov. 22.