Projo Politics Blog

Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl
Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey watches the results come in with his daughter, Sarah, 9, and wife, Kelly, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick, before conceding the race for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

After a hard-fought and at times bitter campaign, Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey conceded the Republican nomination to U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee tonight.

At 10:45 p.m. Chafee had a still-growing lead when Laffey acknowledged that he had lost, in a speech to his supporters at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick.

With 81 percent of the votes counted, Chafee had 27,580 votes to 23,579 for Laffey. That gave Chafee a comfortable 8 percentage-point lead.

Chafee gave his victory speech at around 11 p.m. to a noisy crowd of supporters at the Biltmore Providence.

The incumbent could not contain his smiles as he thanked them.

"You inspire me," he said to the clapping crowd. Chafee said he believed that the state of Rhode Island had benefitted from his term, and, he said, "today's vote shows that Rhode Islanders agree."

Pausing for cheers, he thanked those who said "yes to thoughtfulness, yes to honesty and yes to independence."

Hundreds of Chafee supporters began celebrating shortly after 10 p.m. The mood was electric as campaign workers watched Laffey deliver his concession speech.

Governor Carcieri told the crowd: "We're rolling into November and we're going to have a sweep.''

But it won't be easy, Chafee said, looking forward to his challenge from Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, who easily beat his primary opponents.

"Let us now turn our attention to the race ahead," Chafee told his supporters near the end of his speech. "It will take everything we've got."

Get the latest unofficial tally in the Chafee-Laffey race, from the state Board of Elections.

-- With Journal and projo.com staff reports

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